Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मन्दपाल उवाच न ्त्रीणां विद्यते किंचिदमुत्र पुरुषान्तरात्‌ । सापत्नकमृते लोके नान्यदर्थविनाशनम्‌,मन्दपालने कहा--परलोकमें स्त्रियोंके लिये परपुरुषसे सम्बन्ध और सौतियाडाहको छोड़कर दूसरा कोई दोष उनके परमार्थका नाश करनेवाला नहीं है

Transliteration

Mandapāla uvāca | na strīṇāṃ vidyate kiṃcid amutra puruṣāntarāt | sāpatnakam ṛte loke nānyad artha-vināśanam ||

Translation

Mandapāla said: “For women, in the world to come, nothing ruins true welfare except involvement with another man. Apart from jealousy and rivalry arising from co-wives, nothing else here destroys their highest good.”

Word by Word

मन्दपालःMandapāla

उवाचsaid

नnot

स्त्रीणाम्of women

विद्यतेexists / is found

किञ्चित्anything

अमुत्रthere (in the other world)

पुरुषान्तरात्from another man (i.e., other than one’s husband)

सापत्नकम्co-wife rivalry / jealousy among co-wives

ऋतेexcept / without

लोकेin the world

नnot

अन्यत्anything else

अर्थविनाशनम्destroying welfare/true good (spiritual good)

Speaker

मन्दपाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मन्दपाल (Mandapāla)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical danger in household life as primarily arising from illicit relations with another man and from co-wife rivalry; these are presented as the chief causes that undermine a woman’s ultimate welfare (artha) and moral standing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mandapala is speaking in a reflective, admonitory tone, drawing a moral conclusion about conduct and its consequences, especially regarding fidelity and the social-emotional turmoil created by rivalry among co-wives.