Shloka 13
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
काम॑ स्वपितु बालो<यं भूमौ मृत्युवशं गतः । लोहिताक्षो गुडाकेशो विजय: साधु जीवतु,'मृत्युके वशमें पड़ा हुआ मेरा यह बालक चाहे सदाके लिये भूमिपर सोता रह जाय, किंतु निद्राके स्वामी, विजय पानेवाले अरुणनयन अर्जुन अवश्य जीवित हों--यही उत्तम है
kāmaṃ svapitu bālo 'yaṃ bhūmau mṛtyuvaśaṃ gataḥ | lohitākṣo guḍākeśo vijayaḥ sādhu jīvatu ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Let this child, fallen under the dominion of Death, lie asleep on the earth for as long as it may be; but may Arjuna—red-eyed, master of sleep, and ever-victorious—truly live. That indeed is the better course.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts private grief with public duty: even if a personal loss must be endured, the preservation of a righteous protector (Arjuna) is presented as the greater good, reflecting an ethic of prioritizing dharma and collective welfare over individual attachment.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment of intense lament and valuation: a child is described as lying on the ground under Death’s power, while a fervent wish is voiced that Arjuna—identified by multiple epithets—should live, implying that his survival is crucial for the unfolding restoration and protection after the war.