Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

ननु त्वमार्यधर्मज्ञा ननु चासि पतिव्रता । यत्त्वस्कृतेड्यं पतित: पतिस्ते निहतो रणे

Transliteration

nanu tvam āryadharmajñā nanu cāsi pativratā | yat tvat-kṛte īḍyaṁ patitaḥ patiḥ te nihato raṇe |

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ແນ່ນອນ ເຈົ້າຮູ້ທຳອັນສູງສົ່ງ (ອາຣະຍະທຳ) ແລະ ແນ່ນອນ ເຈົ້າເປັນນາງຜູ້ສັດຊື່ຕໍ່ຜົວ. ແຕ່ເນື່ອງຈາກການກະທຳຂອງເຈົ້າ ຜົວຂອງເຈົ້າ—ຜູ້ຄວນແກ່ການນັບຖື—ນອນລົ້ມຢູ່ ຖືກສັງຫານໃນສະໜາມຮົບ»។

Word by Word

• ननु: indeed; surely; is it not?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• आर्यधर्मज्ञा: knower of noble (Arya) dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्यधर्मज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ननु: and indeed; is it not?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• असि: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present (Lat), 2nd, Singular

• पतिव्रता: devoted to (vowed to) her husband
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतिव्रता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: since; because
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• त्वत्: from you; because of you
• त्वत्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Ablative, Singular

• कृते: in/through the deed; in the act (done)
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पतितः: fallen; lying fallen
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• निहतः: slain; killed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• the wife addressed (unnamed here)
• the husband (unnamed here)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights moral accountability: knowledge of dharma and the ideal of marital devotion are meaningless if one’s actions lead to harm. It underscores the ethical tension between professed virtue and the real consequences of conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker points a reproachful finger at a woman described as dharma-knowing and devoted, accusing her that through her deed her honored husband has been killed and now lies fallen on the battlefield.