Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

वीरं हि क्षत्रियं हत्वा गोशतेन प्रमुच्यते । पितरं तु निहत्यैवं दुर्लभा निष्कृतिर्मम

Transliteration

vīraṃ hi kṣatriyaṃ hatvā gośatena pramucyate | pitaraṃ tu nihatyaivaṃ durlabhā niṣkṛtir mama ||

Translation

ଏକ ବୀର କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟଙ୍କୁ ବଧ କଲେ ଶତ ଗୋଦାନରେ ସେହି ପାପରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ମିଳେ; କିନ୍ତୁ ପିତାଙ୍କୁ ବଧ କରି ଏହିପରି ନିଷ୍କୃତି ମୋ ପାଇଁ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ।

Word by Word

• वीरम्: a hero/brave man
• वीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• क्षत्रियम्: a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हत्वा: having killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Non-finite

• गोशतेन: by (the gift of) a hundred cows
• गोशतेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोशत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रमुच्यते: is released/freed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच्
• Form: Lat, Present, Passive (Karmani), Third, Singular

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• निहत्य: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Non-finite

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• दुर्लभा: hard to obtain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निष्कृतिः: expiation/atonement
• निष्कृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: for me/of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• kṣatriya
• father (pitṛ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts degrees of moral transgression: even grave violence like killing a heroic warrior is presented as having a recognized expiation (a hundred cow-gifts), whereas killing one’s father is portrayed as a uniquely weighty sin whose atonement is extremely difficult.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a reflection on guilt and expiation: the speaker measures conventional ritual atonements for battlefield killing against the far more severe, socially and ethically catastrophic act of patricide, emphasizing the near-impossibility of cleansing that stain.