Shloka 15

Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46

Devanagari script

सज्जन्ति पुरुषे नार्य: पुंसां सो<्डर्थश्व॒ पुष्कल: । अन्यथारक्षत: शापो5भविष्यत्‌ ते मतिश्न मे

Transliteration

Vipula uvāca: sajjanti puruṣe nāryaḥ, puṁsāṁ so 'rthaś ca puṣkalaḥ | anyathā rakṣataḥ śāpo 'bhaviṣyat te, matiś ca me striyāḥ puruṣe 'saktā bhavati ||

Translation

Vipula sprach: „Frauen hängen sich tief an einen Mann, und auch Männer empfinden als Erwiderung eine starke und volle Bindung. Wäre deine Absicht dem Schutz von ihr zuwider gewesen, so wäre gewiss ein Fluch über dich gekommen—und auch mein eigener Sinn hätte sich dem Verfluchen zugewandt.“

Word by Word

• {'sajjanti': 'become attached

• are devoted', 'puruṣe': 'in/unto a man (locative of puruṣa)', 'nāryaḥ': 'women', 'puṁsām': 'of men', 'saḥ': 'that

• he (contextual pronoun)', 'arthaḥ': 'meaning

• benefit', 'ca': 'and', 'puṣkalaḥ': 'abundant

• substantial', 'anyathā': 'otherwise

• in a contrary manner', 'rakṣataḥ': 'of one who protects / while protecting (genitive/ablative sense from rakṣat)', 'śāpaḥ': 'curse', 'abhaviṣyat': 'would have occurred

• would have come to be', 'te': 'to you

• your', 'matiḥ': 'mind

• resolve', 'me': 'my', 'striyāḥ': 'a woman / of a woman (context: the woman in question)', 'āsaktā': 'attached

• devoted', 'bhavati': 'is

Speaker

विपुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vipula

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a dharmic standard: when one is in a position to protect, one’s intention must align with guardianship and restraint. If the intent turns exploitative or contrary to protection, it becomes morally blameworthy and invites the consequence of a curse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vipula addresses another person, explaining the natural mutual attachment between women and men, and warns that if the other’s attitude had opposed the duty of protection, the other would have incurred a curse—and Vipula himself would have been compelled to curse.