Shloka 32
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
देवि! तुम दिव्य ज्ञानसे सम्पन्न और देवलोकमें सर्वश्रेष्ठ हो। दिव्य पुण्योंके साथ तुम्हारा प्रादुर्भाव हुआ है। तुम्हीं हम सब लोगोंको स्त्री-धर्मका उपदेश देनेके योग्य हो ।। ततः सा<<राधिता देवी गड्या बहुभिगुणै: । प्राह सर्वमशेषेण स्त्रीधर्म सुरसुन्दरी,तदनन्तर गंगाजीके द्वारा अनेक गुणोंका बखान करके पूजित होनेपर देवसुन्दरी देवी उमाने सम्पूर्ण स्त्री-धर्मका पूर्णतः: वर्णन किया
devi! tvaṃ divya-jñānena sampannā devaloke sarvaśreṣṭhā asi | divyaiḥ puṇyaiḥ sārdhaṃ tava prādurbhāvo jātaḥ | tvam eva asmān sarvān strī-dharmopadeśe yogyā asi || tataḥ sā rādhiṭā devī gaṅgayā bahubhir guṇaiḥ | prāha sarvam aśeṣeṇa strī-dharmaṃ surasundarī ||
Maheshvara said: “Goddess, you are endowed with divine knowledge and are the foremost in the world of the gods. Your manifestation has arisen together with divine merit. You alone are fit to instruct all of us in strī-dharma—the duties and conduct proper to women.” Thereupon, when the goddess Uma—celebrated and worshipped by Ganga with many praises of her virtues—set forth, without omission, the complete teaching on strī-dharma, as befits a celestial lady.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse establishes Uma’s authority to teach strī-dharma: because she is divinely wise, pre-eminent among the gods, and manifested with sacred merit, she is presented as uniquely qualified to give a complete ethical instruction on women’s duties and conduct.
Maheśvara addresses Devī, praising her divine knowledge and fitness to instruct. After Gaṅgā worships and extols Uma’s virtues, Uma begins to expound the full teaching of strī-dharma in a comprehensive manner.