Shloka 36
Babhruvāhana’s Lament and Appeal for Expiation (प्रायश्चित्त-याचना)
यदि नोीत्तिष्ठति जय: पिता मे नरसत्तम: । अस्मिन्नेव रणोद्देशे शोषयिष्ये कलेवरम्
yadi no tiṣṭhati jayaḥ pitā me narasattamaḥ | asminneva raṇoddeśe śoṣayiṣye kalevaram ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：“若我之父——人中至上、胜者阿周那——不能复生再起，那么就在这片战场之上，我将以绝食使此身枯槁。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense personal bonds and grief can crystallize into a vow of austerity (tapas). Ethically, it shows a mind seeking moral leverage—through self-discipline rather than further violence—when confronted with the possible loss of a revered protector.
A speaker, reported by Vaiśampāyana, declares that if Arjuna (called ‘the victorious’ and ‘best of men’) does not rise alive, he will undertake a fast unto bodily wasting on the very battlefield—an extreme response to the crisis surrounding Arjuna’s condition.