Shloka 58
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
किमिदं लक्ष्यते सर्व शोकविस्मयहर्षवत् । रणाजिरममित्रघ्न यदि जानासि शंस मे
kim idaṃ lakṣyate sarvaṃ śoka-vismaya-harṣavat | raṇājiram amitraghna yadi jānāsi śaṃsa me ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O slayer of foes, heroic son, why does this entire battlefield appear filled at once with grief, astonishment, and joy? If you know the reason, tell me.”
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral complexity of war: the same battlefield can simultaneously evoke sorrow for loss, wonder at extraordinary events, and joy at victory or resolution—inviting reflection on how dharma is experienced through mixed human emotions.
The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a heroic ‘slayer of foes’ and asks why the battlefield appears charged with three contrasting moods—grief, astonishment, and joy—requesting an explanation for this unusual atmosphere.