Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

वैशमग्पायन उवाच प्रायोपविष्टे नृपती मणिपूरेश्वरे तदा । पितृशोकसमाविष्टे सह मात्रा परंतप

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: prāyopaviṣṭe nṛpatī Maṇipūreśvare tadā | pitṛśoka-samāviṣṭe saha mātrā parantapa ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：那时，噬敌如火的阇那美阇耶啊，当摩尼补罗之王因丧父之痛而心神俱裂，与母同坐，已立绝食至死之誓时，乌卢毗忆起“僧吉瓦那摩尼”——那伽族赖以维命的生生宝珠；她方一忆念，那宝珠便来到此处。

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaishampayana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• प्रायोपविष्टे: when (he was) seated for fasting unto death
• प्रायोपविष्टे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रायोपविष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नृपतौ: in/when the king
• नृपतौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मणिपुर-ईश्वरे: in the lord of Manipur (the Manipur king)
• मणिपुर-ईश्वरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिपुर-ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• पितृ-शोक-समाविष्टे: when (he was) overwhelmed by grief for (his) father
• पितृ-शोक-समाविष्टे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृशोकसमाविष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• मात्रा: with (his) mother
• मात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes
• परंतप: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Janamejaya
• Maṇipura
• Babhruvāhana
• Babhruvāhana’s mother
• Ulūpī
• Nāgas
• Saṃjīvanamaṇi

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral complexity of responding to grief: a ruler may seek expiation through self-denial (fasting unto death), yet dharma also allows compassionate, rightful means to preserve life—especially when life can be restored without deceit or injustice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Babhruvāhana, king of Maṇipura, stricken by grief for his father, sits with his mother undertaking a fast unto death. Ulūpī intervenes by recalling the Saṃjīvanamaṇi, the Nāgas’ life-restoring jewel, which immediately arrives.