Subhadrā-vilāpaḥ — Subhadrā’s Lament for Abhimanyu
Droṇa-parva 55
सो5स्याकर: काउचनस्य तस्य यत्नं चरामहे । उन डाकुओंमेंसे कोई-कोई इस प्रकार बोले--“हम सब लोग स्वयं इस राजाके पुत्रको अधिकारमें कर लें; क्योंकि वही इस सुवर्णकी खान है। अतः हम उसीको पकड़नेका यत्न करें!
so 'syākaraḥ kāñcanasya tasya yatnaṃ carāmahe | teṣu dākuṣu kecid evaṃ prāhuḥ—“vayaṃ sarve svayam asya rājaputrasya vaśaṃ kariṣyāmaḥ; sa eva hi suvarṇasya khaniḥ; ataḥ tam eva gṛhītuṃ yatāmahe” ||
ସେ ଦସ୍ୟୁମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ କେହି କେହି ଏପରି କହିଲେ—“ସେଇ ତ ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣର ଖଣି; ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଆମେ ଯତ୍ନ କରିବା। ଆସ, ଆମେ ସମସ୍ତେ ନିଜ ବଳରେ ରାଜପୁତ୍ରକୁ ଅଧୀନ କରିନେବା; କାରଣ ଧନର ମୂଳ ସେଇ। ତେଣୁ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଧରିବାକୁ ଯତ୍ନ କରିବା।”
व्यास उवाच
The verse exposes how greed (lobha) dehumanizes: the bandits see the prince not as a person with dignity but as a ‘mine of gold.’ It implicitly warns that treating humans as instruments for wealth is adharma and leads to further violence and moral collapse.
Vyāsa narrates that among a group of bandits, some propose a plan: instead of merely seeking the gold, they will capture the king’s son himself, believing he is the true source of the treasure, and they resolve to seize him.