Shloka 22
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
निहन्तारं रणे<5रीणां सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम् मया विनिहतं संख्ये प्रेक्षते दुर्मरं बत
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nihantāraṁ raṇe 'rīṇāṁ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varam mayā vinihataṁ saṅkhye prekṣate durmaraṁ bata.
Vaiśampāyana said: “Alas—he who in battle was the slayer of foes, the foremost among all who bear weapons, has been struck down by me in the fight; and now he lies there, a sight almost unbearable to behold.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight and emotional cost of warfare: even when one defeats a formidable warrior, the outcome can be ethically and psychologically unbearable, underscoring the tragic consequences that accompany martial duty.
The speaker reports a battlefield scene in which a renowned, nearly invincible warrior—celebrated as a destroyer of enemies and best among armed fighters—has been killed by the narrator’s side, and the sight of him lying slain is described as extremely difficult to endure.