Shloka 233
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
दुर्मरं पुरुषेणेह मन्ये हुध्वन्यनागते । “चौड़ी छाती और विशाल भुजावाले अपने पतिको मारा गया देखकर भी जो मेरी माता चित्रांगदा देवीका दृढ़ हृदय विदीर्ण नहीं हो जाता है। इससे मैं यह मानता हूँ कि अन्तकाल आये बिना मनुष्यका मरना बहुत कठिन है
durmaraṃ puruṣeṇeha manye hūdhvanyanāgate | cauḍī-chātī ca viśāla-bhujāvāle svaṃ patiṃ hatam ālokya api yā me mātā citrāṅgadā devī dṛḍha-hṛdayā na vidīryate | tasmād idaṃ manye—antakāla āyāty eva vinā manuṣyasya maraṇaṃ atidurlabham iti ||
Waiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Menurutku, amat sukar bagi seorang manusia untuk mati di sini sebelum saat akhirnya yang ditetapkan tiba. Bahkan setelah menyaksikan suaminya gugur—berdada bidang dan berlengan perkasa—ibuku, Dewi Citrāṅgadā, tetap teguh hati dan tidak hancur oleh duka. Dari sini kusimpulkan: tanpa datangnya detik terakhir, kematian tidak mudah menimpa manusia.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Death is portrayed as governed by an appointed time (antakāla): without that destined moment arriving, even extreme causes for collapse—such as witnessing a loved one slain—do not necessarily destroy a person. The verse emphasizes the limits of human control and the primacy of fate/karma in the timing of death.
Vaiśampāyana comments on the difficulty of dying before one’s time, using an example from his own family: his mother Citrāṅgadā remains unbroken even after seeing her mighty husband killed. Her resilience becomes evidence for the claim that death does not come until the final hour arrives.