Shloka 37
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
अरुन्धतीं ततो दृष्टवा तीव्रं नियममास्थिताम्
arundhatīṁ tato dṛṣṭvā tīvrāṁ niyamam āsthitām
Then, seeing Arundhatī firmly established in a severe vow of self-discipline, Vaiśampāyana draws attention to her unwavering restraint—an emblem of dharma upheld through austerity and steadfast conduct.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights niyama—disciplined observance and self-restraint—as a visible mark of dharma. Arundhatī’s rigorous vow functions as an ethical model: inner steadiness and principled conduct can be as significant as outward power, especially amid the Mahābhārata’s moral turbulence.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that someone (implied by the context) sees Arundhatī and observes her living under a strict, intense vow. The line sets up her role as a witness or exemplar whose austerity and moral firmness carry narrative weight in the surrounding episode.