Shloka 34
बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः
Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra
स्वसारं समवेक्षस्व स्वस्रनीयात्मजमेव च । कर्तुमर्हसि धर्मज्ञ दयां कुरु कुलोद्ह
svāsāraṃ samavekṣasva svasr̥nīyātmajam eva ca | kartum arhasi dharmajña dayāṃ kuru kulodvaha ||
నీ సోదరిని చూడు; సోదరి మనవడిపైనా కరుణాదృష్టి వేయి. హే ధర్మజ్ఞా, హే కులధురంధరా! నీకు దయ చేయుట యోగ్యం—కరుణ చూపుము.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not only justice and rule-keeping but also compassionate discernment: a righteous person, especially a guardian of the family line, should temper power with mercy—particularly toward vulnerable kin.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, an appeal is voiced to a dharma-knowing Kuru noble: he is urged to look upon his suffering sister and her descendant and to act mercifully, framing the request as both ethical duty and responsibility as a ‘kulodvaha’ (upholder of the lineage).