V. S. Apte, The Practical Sanskrit–English Dictionary. Look up any word of the Gita in Devanagari, IAST or Harvard-Kyoto, or browse the headwords letter by letter.
Entry पालन
पालनpālanaa.Protecting, guarding &c.; Ki.1.1.
[पाल्-भावे ल्यु ल्युट् वा]
Protecting, guarding etc.; Ki.1.1.
Derived forms and compounds
-नम्
Protecting, guarding, nourishing, cherishing, fostering; लब्धdenotes that the rest of the word under consideration is to be supplied R.19.3; so प्रजाdenotes that the rest of the word under consideration is to be supplied, क्षितिdenotes that the rest of the word under consideration is to be supplied, etc.
Maintaining, observing, keeping (as a promise, vow etc.)