ŚB 11.17.45
Devanagari
सर्वा: समुद्धरेद् राजा पितेव व्यसनात् प्रजा: ।
आत्मानमात्मना धीरो यथा गजपतिर्गजान् ॥ ४५ ॥
आत्मानमात्मना धीरो यथा गजपतिर्गजान् ॥ ४५ ॥
Verse text
sarvāḥ samuddhared rājā
piteva vyasanāt prajāḥ
ātmānam ātmanā dhīro
yathā gaja-patir gajān
piteva vyasanāt prajāḥ
ātmānam ātmanā dhīro
yathā gaja-patir gajān
Synonyms
Translation
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.