मैत्रेय उवाच यदाभिषिक्त: पृथुरङ्ग विप्रै-रामन्त्रितो जनतायाश्च पाल: । प्रजा निरन्ने क्षितिपृष्ठ एत्यक्षुत्क्षामदेहा: पतिमभ्यवोचन् ॥ ९ ॥
maitreya uvaca yadabhisiktah prthur anga viprair amantrito janatayas ca palah praja niranne ksiti-prstha etya ksut-ksama-dehah patim abhyavocan
- maitreyah uvaca
- the great sage Maitreya said
- yada
- when
- abhisiktah
- was enthroned
- prthuh
- King Prthu
- anga
- my dear Vidura
- vipraih
- by the brahmanas
- amantritah
- was declared
- janatayah
- of the people
- ca
- also
- palah
- the protector
- prajah
- the citizens
- niranne
- being without food grains
- ksiti-prsthe
- the surface of the globe
- etya
- coming near
- ksut
- by hunger
- ksama
- skinny
- dehah
- their bodies
- patim
- to the protector
- abhyavocan
- they said
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, at the time King Prthu was enthroned by the great sages and brahmanas and declared to be the protector of the citizens, there was a scarcity of food grains. The citizens actually became skinny due to starvation. Therefore they came before the King and informed him of their real situation.