Shloka 12
Ruru’s Lament and the Lifespan Exchange for Pramadvarā (रुरु–प्रमद्वरा आयुर्विभागः)
रुरुख्वाच आयुषो<र्ध प्रयच्छामि कन्यायै खेचरोत्तम । शृज्भाररूपाभरणा समुत्तिष्ठतु मे प्रिया,रुरु बोला--देवश्रेष्ठ! मैं उस कन््याको अपनी आधी आयु देता हूँ। मेरी प्रिया अपने शंगार, सुन्दर रूप और आभूषणोंके साथ जीवित हो उठे
rurur uvāca—āyuṣo 'rdhaṃ prayacchāmi kanyāyai khecarottama | śṛṅgārārūpābharaṇā samuttiṣṭhatu me priyā ||
Ruru said: “O best of the sky-going beings, I give half of my lifespan to this maiden. Let my beloved rise again to life, adorned with beauty, ornaments, and the marks of bridal adornment.”
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents self-sacrifice as a moral choice: Ruru offers half his own lifespan to restore another’s life, suggesting that love and duty can demand personal cost and that ethical action may involve relinquishing one’s own well-being for another.
Ruru addresses a divine messenger and proposes an exchange: he will transfer half of his lifespan to the maiden so that she may rise again, restored to life and wholeness, symbolized by her beauty and ornaments.