Shloka 35
बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः
Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra
विस्मृत्य कुरुराजानं तं च मन्दं जयद्रथम् । अभिमन्योर्यथा जात: परिक्षित् परवीरहा
vismṛtya kururājānaṃ taṃ ca mandaṃ jayadratham | abhimanyor yathā jātaḥ parīkṣit paravīrahā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Forgetting the Kuru king and that feeble Jayadratha, Parīkṣit was born from Abhimanyu—one who would become a slayer of enemy heroes. The narration underscores how the lineage’s future strength and moral order (dharma) are restored not by dwelling on past rulers or lesser antagonists, but through the emergence of a worthy successor who can protect the realm.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights renewal after catastrophe: rather than remaining fixated on past rulers or lesser antagonists, the narrative turns to the birth of a capable heir. Ethically, it affirms the kṣatriya ideal of safeguarding social order through a worthy successor who can restrain hostile forces.
Vaiśampāyana states that Parīkṣit was born in Abhimanyu’s line and is characterized as a future destroyer of enemy champions. The mention of the Kuru king and Jayadratha is dismissed as the focus shifts to Parīkṣit’s emergence and the restoration of the Kuru future.