Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सत्कृतासत्कृताश्चापि विकुर्वन्ति मन: सदा । कस्ता: शक्तो रक्षितुं स्थादिति मे संशयो महान्‌,महाबाहो! हमने सुन रखा है कि ये स्त्रीरूपिणी प्रजाएँ बड़ी धार्मिक होती हैं (जैसा कि सावित्री आदिके जीवनसे प्रत्यक्ष हो चुका है); फिर भी ये स्त्रियाँ सम्मानित हों या असम्मानित, सदा ही पुरुषोंके मनमें विकार उत्पन्न करती रहती हैं। उनकी रक्षा कौन कर सकता है? यही मेरे मनमें महान्‌ संशय है

Transliteration

satkṛtāsatkṛtāś cāpi vikurvanti manaḥ sadā | kastāḥ śakto rakṣituṃ sthād iti me saṃśayo mahān, mahābāho |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Ob geehrt oder entehrt, Frauen bringen doch stets Unruhe in den Geist des Mannes. Wer ist also imstande, sie zu behüten? Dies ist mein großer Zweifel, o Starkarmiger.“

Word by Word

सत्कृताःhonoured

असत्कृताःdishonoured

चand

अपिalso/even

विकुर्वन्तिthey disturb/derange

मनःmind

सदाalways

काःwhich (women)/who (fem. pl.)

ताःthose (women)

शक्तःable

रक्षितुम्to protect

स्थातिcan be/stands (i.e., is possible)

इतिthus/that

मेmy/of me

संशयःdoubt

महान्great

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical problem: external social measures (honor or dishonor) do not by themselves prevent mental agitation; therefore the deeper issue is mastery of the mind and responsible conduct, not merely controlling others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, addressing a ‘mighty-armed’ interlocutor, voices a doubt about how women can be ‘protected,’ observing that men’s minds are stirred regardless of how women are treated, and seeks guidance on the dharmic resolution.