Shloka 2
Janmaveśma-praveśa and Uttarā’s Śaraṇāgati
Entry into the Birth-Chamber and Uttarā’s Appeal
पुण्डरीकाक्ष पश्य त्वं पौत्रं पार्थस्य धीमतः । परिक्षीणेषु कुरुषु परिक्षीणं गतायुषम्
Puṇḍarīkākṣa paśya tvaṃ pautraṃ Pārthasya dhīmataḥ | Parikṣīṇeṣu Kuruṣu parikṣīṇaṃ gatāyuṣam ||
“Ôi đấng mắt như hoa sen, xin hãy nhìn đứa cháu của Pārtha (Arjuna) bậc trí này. Khi dòng Kuru đã kiệt tận và tiêu vong, nó mới ra đời; vậy mà nay nó cũng nằm đây, rã rời, thọ mệnh đã bị cắt đứt.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly power and lineage after catastrophic war: even the long-awaited heir born after the clan’s destruction can be struck down. It invites ethical reflection on how adharma and violence consume not only enemies but one’s own future.
Vaiśampāyana points out to the ‘lotus-eyed’ figure (addressed reverentially) the pitiable condition of Arjuna’s grandson—born only after the Kurus were wiped out, and now himself lying ‘life-spent’—setting the scene for concern over the survival of the Kuru line.