Shloka 15
भरद्वाजपुत्रवधः
The Slaying of Bharadvāja’s Son and the Sage’s Lament
यथाहं पुत्रशोकेन देहं त्यक्ष्यामि किल्बिषी । तथा ज्येष्ठ: सुतो रैभ्यं हिंस्पाच्छीघ्रमनागसम्,जैसे मैं पापी अपने पुत्रके शोकसे व्याकुल हो अपने शरीरका त्याग कर रहा हूँ, उसी प्रकार रैभ्यका ज्येष्ठ पुत्र अपने निरपराध पिताकी शीघ्र हत्या कर डालेगा
yathāhaṃ putraśokena dehaṃ tyakṣyāmi kilbiṣī | tathā jyeṣṭhaḥ suto raibhyaṃ hiṃsyāc chīghram anāgasam ||
Bharadvāja berkata: “Sebagaimana aku—yang ternoda oleh dosa—hampir meninggalkan tubuh ini, diseksa oleh dukacita kehilangan anak, demikian pula anak sulung Raibhya akan segera melakukan kekerasan—bahkan membunuh—ayahnya yang tidak bersalah.”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical horror of harming the innocent—especially one’s own parent—and frames such violence as a grave adharma. It also links uncontrolled grief and inner impurity (kilbiṣa) with destructive outcomes, warning that moral disorder in a family can culminate in extreme wrongdoing.
Bharadvāja, overwhelmed by grief for his son and feeling morally tainted, declares he is about to give up his life. In the same breath he foretells that Raibhya’s eldest son will soon commit violence against—indeed kill—his innocent father Raibhya.