Shloka 4
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
श्रीमहेश्वर बोले--तपोवनमें निवास करनेवाली देवि! तुम भूत और भविष्यको जाननेवाली, धर्मके तत्त्वको समझनेवाली और स्वयं भी धर्मका आचरण करनेवाली हो। सुन्दर केशों और भौंहोंवाली सती-साध्वी हिमवान्-कुमारी! तुम कार्यकुशल हो, इन्द्रियसंयम और मनोनिग्रहसे भी सम्पन्न हो। तुममें अहंता और ममताका सर्वथा अभाव है; अतः वरारोहे! मैं तुमसे एक बात पूछता हूँ। मेरे पूछनेपर तुम मुझे मेरे अभीष्ट विषयको बताओ ।। सावित्री ब्रह्मण:साध्वी कौशिकस्य शची सती । (लक्ष्मीविंष्णो: प्रिया भार्या धृतिर्भार्या यमस्य तु) मार्कण्डेयस्य धूमोर्णा ऋद्धिवैश्रवणस्य च,ब्रह्माजीकी पत्नी सावित्री साध्वी हैं। इन्द्रपत्नी शची भी सती हैं। विष्णुकी प्यारी पत्नी लक्ष्मी पतिव्रता हैं। इसी प्रकार यमकी भार्या धृति, मार्कण्डेयकी पत्नी धूमोर्णा, कुबेरकी स्त्री ऋद्धि, वरुणकी भार्या गौरी, सूर्यकी पत्नी सुवर्चला, चन्द्रमाकी साध्वी स्त्री रोहिणी, अग्निकी भार्या स्वाहा और कश्यपकी पत्नी अदिति--ये सब-की-सब पतितव्रता देवियाँ हैं। देवि! तुमने इन सबका सदा संग किया है और इन सबसे धर्मकी बात पूछी है
śrīmaheśvara uvāca—tapovane nivāsa-karaṇe devī! tvaṁ bhūta-bhaviṣya-jñā, dharma-tattva-vid, svayam api dharmācāra-parā ca. sundara-keśa-bhrū-lalāme satī-sādhvī himavān-kumārī! tvaṁ kārya-kuśalā, indriya-saṁyama-mano-nigraha-sampannā ca. tava ahaṁtā-mamatāyāḥ sarvathā abhāvaḥ; ataḥ varārohe! ahaṁ tvāṁ ekaṁ praśnaṁ pṛcchāmi. mama pṛṣṭe tvaṁ mama abhipreta-viṣayaṁ vada.
sāvitrī brahmaṇaḥ sādhvī, kauśikasya śacī satī; lakṣmīr viṣṇoḥ priyā bhāryā, dhṛtir bhāryā yamasya tu; mārkaṇḍeyasya dhūmorṇā, ṛddhir vaiśravaṇasya ca; varuṇasya gaurī bhāryā, sūryasya suvarcalā; candrasya rohiṇī sādhvī, agner bhāryā svāhā; kaśyapasya aditir bhāryā—etāḥ sarvāḥ pativratā devyaḥ. devī! tvaṁ etāḥ sarvāḥ sadā saṅgatā, etābhyaś ca dharma-vārtāṁ pṛṣṭavatī asi.
Śrī Maheśvara said: “O Goddess who dwells in the forest of austerities! You know what has been and what will be; you understand the true principles of dharma and you yourself live by dharma. O chaste and virtuous daughter of Himavān, adorned with beautiful hair and brows! You are skilled in action, endowed with restraint of the senses and mastery of the mind. In you there is no trace of egoism or possessiveness. Therefore, O fair-hipped one, I ask you a question; when I ask, tell me what I seek to know. Sāvitrī, the virtuous wife of Brahmā; Śacī, the faithful wife of Indra (Kauśika); Lakṣmī, beloved wife of Viṣṇu; Dhṛti, wife of Yama; Dhūmorṇā, wife of Mārkaṇḍeya; Ṛddhi, wife of Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera); Gaurī, wife of Varuṇa; Suvarcalā, wife of Sūrya; Rohiṇī, the chaste consort of Candra; Svāhā, wife of Agni; and Aditi, wife of Kaśyapa—all these goddesses are devoted to their husbands. O Goddess, you have always kept company with them and have inquired of them about dharma.”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames dharma as lived discipline: true virtue is marked by self-restraint (control of senses and mind) and inner purity (absence of ego and possessiveness). It also presents a traditional ethical ideal—pativratā-dharma—by listing exemplary divine wives as models of steadfastness and righteous conduct.
Maheśvara addresses the Goddess in an ascetic forest setting, praises her spiritual qualifications, and prepares to question her. He then cites a roster of renowned virtuous wives (of gods and sages), noting that she has associated with them and learned dharma through their counsel—setting the stage for a discussion on righteous conduct.