SB 11.17.45
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 45
sarvāḥ samuddhared rājā
piteva vyasanāt prajāḥ
ātmānam ātmanā dhīro
yathā gaja-patir gajān
SYNONYMS
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.
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.