Shloka 13
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
काम॑ स्वपितु बालो<यं भूमौ मृत्युवशं गतः । लोहिताक्षो गुडाकेशो विजय: साधु जीवतु
kāmaṃ svapitu bālo 'yaṃ bhūmau mṛtyuvaśaṃ gataḥ | lohitākṣo guḍākeśo vijayaḥ sādhu jīvatu ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Que este niño, caído bajo el dominio de la Muerte, duerma en la tierra cuanto sea; pero que Arjuna—de ojos rojizos, señor del sueño (Guḍākeśa) y siempre victorioso—viva de veras. Eso, en verdad, es lo mejor.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts private grief with public duty: even if a personal loss must be endured, the preservation of a righteous protector (Arjuna) is presented as the greater good, reflecting an ethic of prioritizing dharma and collective welfare over individual attachment.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment of intense lament and valuation: a child is described as lying on the ground under Death’s power, while a fervent wish is voiced that Arjuna—identified by multiple epithets—should live, implying that his survival is crucial for the unfolding restoration and protection after the war.