Shloka 96
Amba approaches the Paraśurāma context; Hotravāhana’s counsel and Akṛtavraṇa’s report (अम्बोपाख्यानम्—रामदर्शनप्रसङ्गः)
आश्रमे वै वसन्त्यास्ते न भवेयु: पितुर्गहि । 'भामिनि! एक तो तुम राजकुमारी और दूसरे स्वभावतः सुकुमारी हो, अतः सुन्दरी! यहाँ आश्रममें तुम्हारे रहनेसे अनेक दोष प्रकट हो सकते हैं। पिताके घरमें वे दोष नहीं प्राप्त होंगे!
āśrame vai vasantyāste na bhaveyuḥ pitur gṛhe | bhāmini! eka to tvaṃ rājakumārī dvitīyaṃ svabhāvataḥ sukumārī asi, ataḥ sundari! iha āśrame tava vāsenāneka-doṣāḥ prakaṭī-bhaviṣyanti; pituḥ gṛhe tu te doṣā na prāpsyante ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „Wenn du in einer Einsiedelei der Asketen wohnen bleibst, können Fehltritte und Verdächtigungen entstehen, die im Haus deines Vaters niemals entstünden. O leidenschaftliche Frau—erstens bist du eine Prinzessin, und zweitens bist du von Natur aus zart. Darum, o Schöne, kann dein Verweilen hier in der Klause viele Unziemlichkeiten und öffentlichen Tadel hervorrufen; doch im Haus deines Vaters werden sich solche Makel nicht an dich heften.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes practical dharma: a person’s conduct must also be safeguarded from situations that invite suspicion or public blame. He advises choosing a socially secure setting (the father’s home) over a vulnerable one (a hermitage) to prevent avoidable ‘doṣa’—moral or reputational blemish.
Bhīṣma is addressing a young royal woman and discouraging her from staying in an āśrama. He argues that, because she is both a princess and naturally delicate, her residence in a hermitage could lead to many perceived improprieties, whereas such accusations would not arise if she stayed in her father’s household.