शरणोपसृतं सत्त्वं नात्याक्षीः शरणप्रदः ॥४१॥
kaccit tvaá¹ brÄhmaṇaá¹ bÄlaá¹
gÄá¹ vá¹›ddhaá¹ rogiṇaá¹ striyam
Å›araṇopasá¹›taá¹ sattvaá¹
nÄtyÄkṣīḥ Å›araṇa-pradaḥ
kaccit - whether; tvam - yourself; brÄhmaṇam - the brÄhmaṇas; bÄlam - the child; gÄm - the cow; vá¹›ddham - old; rogiṇam - the diseased; striyam - the woman; Å›araṇa-upasá¹›tam - having approached for protection; sattvam - any living being; na - whether; atyÄkṣīḥ - not given shelter; Å›araṇa-pradaḥ - deserving protection.
You are always the protector of the deserving living beings, such as brÄhmaṇas, children, cows, women and the diseased. Could you not give them protection when they approached you for shelter?
The brÄhmaṇas, who are always engaged in researching knowledge for the society’s welfare work, both materially and spiritually, deserve the protection of the king in all respects. Similarly, the children of the state, the cow, the diseased person, the woman and the old man specifically require the protection of the state or a ká¹£atriya king. If such living beings do not get protection by the ká¹£atriya, or the royal order, or by the state, it is certainly shameful for the ká¹£atriya or the state. If such things had actually happened to Arjuna, MahÄrÄja Yudhiá¹£á¹hira was anxious to know about these discrepancies.
