Shloka 63

Devanagari script

पतिव्रता सत्यशीला नित्यं चैवार्जवे रता । कथ्थ॑ न प्रत्युदेत्यद्य स्मपमाना यथा पुरा,अब सुदर्शन फिर पुकार-पुकारकर इस प्रकार कहने लगे--“मेरी वह साध्वी पत्नी कहाँ है? वह सुशीला कहाँ चली गयी? मेरी सेवासे बढ़कर कौन गुरुतर कार्य उसपर आ पड़ा। वह पतिव्रता, सत्य बोलनेवाली और सदा सरलभावसे रहनेवाली है। आज पहलेकी ही भाँति मुसकराती हुई वह मेरी अगवानी क्यों नहीं कर रही है?”

Transliteration

pativratā satyaśīlā nityaṃ caivārjave ratā | kathaṃ na pratyudety adya smayamānā yathā purā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “My wife—steadfast in wifely fidelity, devoted to truth, and ever delighting in straightforwardness—how is it that today she does not come forward to greet me, smiling as she used to before? What weightier duty than serving me has suddenly fallen upon her?”

Word by Word

पतिव्रताdevoted to her husband

सत्यशीलाtruthful by nature

नित्यम्always

चand

एवindeed/just

आर्जवेin straightforwardness/uprightness

रताdelighting/engaged (in)

कथम्how/why

नnot

प्रत्युदेतिcomes forth to meet (me)

अद्यtoday

स्मindeed/just (particle, often with past sense)

अपमानाsmiling/with a smile (lit. not honoring?; here used as 'with a smile')

यथाas/just as

पुराformerly/before

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Sudarsana

Sudarsana's wife (unnamed in this verse)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises ethical virtues in domestic life—fidelity (pativratā), truthfulness (satya), and straightforward sincerity (ārjava)—presented as marks of exemplary character and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sudarsana, returning and expecting his wife’s customary smiling welcome, is distressed that she does not come out to greet him; he wonders what urgent duty could have kept her away.