Strī-dharma: Śiva’s Inquiry, Umā’s Consultation, and Gaṅgā’s Instruction
परदाररतिर्यश्न यश्व वन्ध्यामुपासते । ब्रह्मस्वं हरते यश्ष समदोषा भवन्ति ते
paradāra-ratir yaś ca vandhyām upāsate | brahmasvaṁ harate yaś ca sama-doṣā bhavanti te ||
লোমশ ক’লে—যি পৰস্ত্ৰীত আসক্ত, যি বন্ধ্যা নাৰীৰ সৈতে গমন কৰে, আৰু যি ব্ৰাহ্মণৰ ধন হৰণ কৰে—এই তিনিও সমান দোষৰ ভাগী হয়॥
लोगश उवाच
The verse equates three acts as equally blameworthy: adultery (attachment to another’s wife), improper sexual conduct (consorting with a barren woman, presented here as a censured act), and stealing a Brāhmaṇa’s property. It underscores that violations of sexual restraint and violations against the sanctity of the Brāhmaṇa’s wealth are serious breaches of dharma.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Lokaśa delivers a moral classification of wrong actions. Rather than advancing plot, the passage functions as instruction—grouping certain behaviors together to warn the listener about comparable ethical consequences.