Shloka 6

Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)

Devanagari script

ननु त्वमार्ये धर्मज्ञा त्रैलोक्यविदिता शुभे | यद्‌ घातयित्वा पुत्रेण भर्तारें नानुशोचसि,'आर्ये! शुभे! तुम धर्मको जाननेवाली और तीनों लोकोंमें विख्यात हो। तो भी आज पुत्रसे पतिकी हत्या कराकर तुम्हें शोक या पश्चात्ताप नहीं हो रहा है, इसका क्या कारण है?

Transliteration

nanu tvam ārye dharmajñā trailokyaviditā śubhe | yad ghātayitvā putreṇa bhartāraṁ nānuśocasi |

Translation

ಆರ್ಯೇ! ಶುಭೇ! ನೀ ಧರ್ಮಜ್ಞೆ, ತ್ರೈಲೋಕ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧಳೂ ಹೌದು. ಆದರೂ ನಿನ್ನ ಮಗನಿಂದಲೇ ನಿನ್ನ ಪತಿಯನ್ನು ಕೊಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ನೀ ಏಕೆ ಶೋಕವನ್ನೂ ಪಶ್ಚಾತ್ತಾಪವನ್ನೂ ಅನುಭವಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ?

Word by Word

ननुindeed; surely; now then

त्वम्you

आर्येO noble lady

धर्मज्ञाknower of dharma

त्रैलोक्यविदिताknown in the three worlds

शुभेO auspicious one

यत्since; because; that (relative)

घातयित्वाhaving caused to be killed

पुत्रेणby (your) son

भर्तारम्husband

नnot

अनुशोचसिyou grieve; you regret

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

āryā (noble lady, unnamed here)

putra (son, unnamed here)

bhartā (husband, unnamed here)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical challenge: true knowledge of dharma should manifest as moral sensitivity. It questions how a person famed for righteousness can remain untroubled after orchestrating a grave act—highlighting the tension between claimed virtue and inner response (śoka/anutāpa) to wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a pointed interrogation addressed to a noble woman: she is reminded of her reputation for dharma and then asked why she shows no grief or remorse despite having her husband killed through her son. The line functions as a moral probe into motive, justification, or emotional detachment.