Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19
सोमेन दत्ता भार्या मे त्वया चापद्ताद्य वै | इत्युक्तो वचनात् तस्य नारदेन जलेश्वर:
somena dattā bhāryā me tvayā cāpahṛtādyavai | ity ukto vacanāt tasya nāradena jaleśvaraḥ ||
Arjuna said: “My wife was bestowed upon me by Soma, yet today she has been carried off by you.” Thus addressed—on the basis of Nārada’s report—the Lord of the Waters was confronted with the charge, bringing into focus the ethical tension between rightful marital claim and the misuse of power.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma in marital rights and the ethical wrong of taking what is rightfully given to another, while also showing the role of credible testimony (Nārada’s word) in establishing accountability.
Arjuna confronts the ‘Lord of the Waters’ (Varuṇa), asserting that his wife—granted to him by Soma—has been taken away, and this confrontation is prompted/confirmed by Nārada’s report.