Shloka 45
पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation
मेधातिथिर्महाप्राज्ञो गौतमस्तपसि स्थित: । विमृश्य तेन कालेन पत्न्या: संस्थाव्यतिक्रमम्
Medhātithir mahāprājño Gautamas tapasi sthitaḥ | vimṛśya tena kālena patnyāḥ saṁsthāvyatikramam ||
Bhishma said: “Medhātithi Gautama, a sage of great intelligence, steadfast in austerity, reflected then on the impropriety of killing his wife. Deeply afflicted, he struggled to steady himself through the discipline of Vedic study and inner fortitude; then, filled with remorse, he began to speak within his own mind.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one believes oneself justified, dharma requires reflective scrutiny of one’s actions—especially violence within intimate bonds. The verse highlights ethical self-examination, restraint, and repentance as marks of true wisdom and ascetic discipline.
Bhishma describes the sage Medhātithi Gautama, who, after considering the wrongness of killing his wife, becomes overwhelmed with grief. He steadies himself through Vedic discipline and composure, then begins an inward, remorseful reflection.