FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.17.45

सर्वा: समुद्धरेद् राजा पितेव व्यसनात् प्रजा: । आत्मानमात्मना धीरो यथा गजपतिर्गजान् ॥ ४५ ॥
sarvāḥ samuddhared rājā
[sarvaah samuddhared raajaa]
piteva vyasanāt prajāḥ
[piteva vyasanaat prajaah]
ātmānam ātmanā dhīro
[aatmaanam aatmanaa dheero]
yathā gaja-patir gajān
[yathaa gaja-patir gajaan]
Word-for-word
sarvāḥ — all samuddharet — must uplift rājā — the king pitā — a father iva — like vyasanāt — from difficulties prajāḥ — the citizens ātmānam — himself ātmana — by himself dhīraḥ — fearless yathā — just as gaja-patiḥ — a bull elephant gajān — the other elephants.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarvāḥ samuddhared rājā
sarvāḥ
all
samuddharet
must uplift
rājā
the king
piteva vyasanāt prajāḥ
pitā
a father
iva
like
vyasanāt
from difficulties
prajāḥ
the citizens
ātmānam ātmanā dhīro
ātmānam
himself
ātmana
by himself
dhīraḥ
fearless
yathā gaja-patir gajān
yathā
just as
gaja-patiḥ
a bull elephant
gajān
the other elephants.
Just as the chief bull elephant protects all other elephants in his herd and defends himself as well, similarly, a fearless king, just like a father, must save all of the citizens from difficulty and also protect himself.
Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa, having concluded His discussion of brahminical duties, now describes the character and activities of a king. Protecting all of the citizens from difficulty is an essential duty for the king.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as the chief bull elephant protects all other elephants in his herd and defends himself as well, similarly, a determined king, just like a father, must save all of the citizens from difficulty and also protect himself. The actions of the kṣatriyas are described. Dhīraḥ here means a king who has determination.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Like the chief bull elephant protecting his herd, a fearless king must save citizens like a father and protect himself too. Leadership protects others without sacrificing the leader.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I protecting others while neglecting myself, or vice versa?
  • What would balanced fatherly protection look like?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 17