Shloka 6
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
ननु त्वमार्ये धर्मज्ञा त्रैलोक्यविदिता शुभे | यद् घातयित्वा पुत्रेण भर्तारें नानुशोचसि
nanu tvam ārye dharmajñā trailokyaviditā śubhe | yad ghātayitvā putreṇa bhartāraṁ nānuśocasi |
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Pourtant, noble dame—ô toi l’auspicieuse—tu connais le dharma et ta renommée s’étend aux trois mondes. Pourquoi donc, après avoir fait tuer ton époux par ton propre fils, ne t’affliges-tu pas et ne ressens-tu aucun remords ?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical challenge: true knowledge of dharma should manifest as moral sensitivity. It questions how a person famed for righteousness can remain untroubled after orchestrating a grave act—highlighting the tension between claimed virtue and inner response (śoka/anutāpa) to wrongdoing.
Vaiśampāyana reports a pointed interrogation addressed to a noble woman: she is reminded of her reputation for dharma and then asked why she shows no grief or remorse despite having her husband killed through her son. The line functions as a moral probe into motive, justification, or emotional detachment.