Shloka 16
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
पुत्रेण घातयित्वैनं पतिं यदि न मेउद्य वै जीवन्तं दर्शयस्यद्य परित्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम्
putreṇa ghātayitvainam patiṁ yadi na me ’dya vai jīvantaṁ darśayasy adya parityakṣyāmi jīvitam
«នាងបានបញ្ឆោតកូនប្រុសរបស់ខ្ញុំ ឲ្យវាយសម្លាប់ស្វាមីរបស់ខ្ញុំ។ បន្ទាប់ពីបានធ្វើរឿងទាំងនេះហើយ ប្រសិនបើថ្ងៃនេះ—មែនថ្ងៃនេះ—នាងមិនបង្ហាញឲ្យខ្ញុំឃើញស្វាមីខ្ញុំរស់វិញទេ ខ្ញុំនឹងបោះបង់ជីវិតរបស់ខ្ញុំ»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses moral accountability: one who engineers violence bears responsibility not only for the harm done but also for making amends. It also portrays the intensity of pativratā-dharma—devotion to the husband—where the wife’s sense of righteous order collapses if the husband is not restored.
A woman addresses the one she holds responsible for orchestrating her husband’s death through her son. She issues an ultimatum: unless the husband is shown alive that very day, she will give up her own life.