Shloka 36
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
यदि नोीत्तिष्ठति जय: पिता मे नरसत्तम: । अस्मिन्नेव रणोद्देशे शोषयिष्ये कलेवरम्
yadi no tiṣṭhati jayaḥ pitā me narasattamaḥ | asminneva raṇoddeśe śoṣayiṣye kalevaram ||
Jika ayahku—Arjuna, manusia utama dan pemenang—tidak bangkit kembali hidup-hidup, maka di medan perang ini juga aku akan mengeringkan tubuhku dengan berpuasa.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense personal bonds and grief can crystallize into a vow of austerity (tapas). Ethically, it shows a mind seeking moral leverage—through self-discipline rather than further violence—when confronted with the possible loss of a revered protector.
A speaker, reported by Vaiśampāyana, declares that if Arjuna (called ‘the victorious’ and ‘best of men’) does not rise alive, he will undertake a fast unto bodily wasting on the very battlefield—an extreme response to the crisis surrounding Arjuna’s condition.