Shloka 24
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
यत्र नाहं न मे माता विप्रयुज्येत जीवितात्
yatra nāhaṁ na me mātā viprayujyeta jīvitāt |
Waiśampāyana berkata— Dalam saat krisis ini, aku dan ibuku belum juga terpisah dari hidup. Aduhai, aduhai—celakalah aku! Wahai orang-orang, lihatlah: di sini, di atas tanah, tergeletak baju zirah emas sang pahlawan Kuru, Arjuna, terhempas—ia gugur oleh tanganku, oleh anaknya sendiri.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical shock of violence within one’s own lineage: even when events are driven by duty or circumstance, the moral weight of harming kin produces profound remorse and self-reproach, urging reflection on dharma, restraint, and the tragic costs of war.
Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a lament is voiced in which the speaker says that in this crisis he and his mother still live, yet he condemns himself and points to Arjuna’s golden armour lying on the earth—signifying that Arjuna, the Kuru hero, has been struck down by his own son.