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 dijo: «Sin duda conoces el noble código del dharma, y sin duda eres fiel a tu esposo. Y, sin embargo, por lo que has hecho, tu marido—digno de honor—yace caído, muerto en el campo de batalla».
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.