Shloka 60
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
जानाम्यहमिदं युद्ध त्वया मद्वचनात् कृतम् । स्त्रीणामागमने हेतुमहमिच्छामि वेदितुम्,“मैं तो इतना ही जानता हूँ कि तुमने मेरे कहनेसे यह युद्ध किया है; परंतु यहाँ स्त्रियोंके आनेका क्या कारण है? यह मैं जानना चाहता हूँ
jānāmy aham idaṁ yuddhaṁ tvayā madvacanāt kṛtam | strīṇām āgamane hetum aham icchāmi veditum |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “I understand this much—that you undertook this battle at my word. But I wish to know the reason why women have come here.”
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical scrutiny of action: even when an act (here, a battle) is done under instruction, its surrounding circumstances—such as who is drawn into the scene and why—still demand inquiry into causes and responsibility.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, speaking within the epic’s narration, acknowledges that the battle was undertaken at his prompting, and then asks for clarification about a specific development: the arrival of women and the motive behind their coming.