Shloka 4
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
ननु त्वमार्यधर्मज्ञा ननु चासि पतिव्रता । यत्त्वस्कृतेड्यं पतित: पतिस्ते निहतो रणे
nanu tvam āryadharmajñā nanu cāsi pativratā | yat tvat-kṛte īḍyaṁ patitaḥ patiḥ te nihato raṇe |
Vaiśampāyana said: “Surely you know the noble code of dharma, and surely you are devoted to your husband. And yet, because of what you have done, your husband—worthy of honor—lies fallen, slain upon the battlefield.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral accountability: knowledge of dharma and the ideal of marital devotion are meaningless if one’s actions lead to harm. It underscores the ethical tension between professed virtue and the real consequences of conduct.
The speaker points a reproachful finger at a woman described as dharma-knowing and devoted, accusing her that through her deed her honored husband has been killed and now lies fallen on the battlefield.