Shloka 40

Devanagari script

नापराधो<स्ति नारीणां नर एवापराध्यति । सर्वकार्यापरा ध्यत्वान्नापरा ध्यन्ति चाड़ना:,'ऐसे अवसरोंपर स्त्रियोंका अपराध नहीं होता, पुरुष ही अपराधी होता है। सभी कार्योमें अबला होनेके कारण स्त्रियोंको अपराधके लिये विवश कर दिया जाता है, अतः पराधीन होनेके कारण वे अपराधिनी नहीं हैं

Transliteration

nāparādho 'sti nārīṇāṃ nara evāparādhyati | sarvakāryāparā dhyatvān nāparā dhyanti cābalāḥ ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «لا ذنب على النساء في هذا؛ إنما الرجل وحده هو الذي يرتكب الجُرم. ولأن النساء ضعيفات الحيلة في تدبير الأمور، فكثيرًا ما يُدفعن إلى الخطأ؛ وإذ هنّ تحت سلطان غيرهنّ فلا ينبغي أن يُحكمن كمذنبات.»

Word by Word

नnot

अपराधःfault, offense

अस्तिis/exists

नारीणाम्of women

नरःman

एवindeed, only

अपराध्यतिcommits an offense

सर्वकार्यापराध्यत्वात्because of being made to offend in all tasks/affairs

नnot

अपराध्यन्तिcommit offenses

चand

अबला:women (the weak/helpless)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma distinguishes moral blame from mere involvement: when a person lacks autonomy and is compelled by circumstances or control of others, full culpability should not be assigned to them; responsibility lies primarily with the one who exercises agency and initiates the wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhīṣma is instructing on ethical judgment and social responsibility, arguing that in certain situations women, being constrained and dependent in worldly affairs, should not be treated as the principal offenders; the man who acts with initiative bears the blame.