Shloka 23
Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)
देव्युवाच कि नाम दान॑ नियमं तपो वा कुर्यामहं येन पतिर्ममाद्य । लभेत भागं भगवानचिन्त्यो हार्ध तथा भागमथो तृतीयम्,(दूसरी ओर कैलास पर्वतपर) पार्वती देवी (बहुत दुखी होकर) कह रही थीं--आह,, मैं कौन-सा व्रत, दान या तप करूँ, जिसके प्रभावसे आज मेरे पतिदेव अचिन्त्य भगवान् शंकरको यज्ञका आधा अथवा तिहाई भाग अवश्य प्राप्त हो?”
devy uvāca ki nāma dānaṁ niyamaṁ tapo vā kuryām ahaṁ yena patir mamādya | labheta bhāgaṁ bhagavān acintyo hārdhaṁ tathā bhāgam atho tṛtīyam ||
The Goddess said: “What gift, what vow of restraint, or what austerity should I undertake, by whose power my husband—today—may obtain his rightful share? May the inconceivable Lord receive a portion of the sacrifice: at least one half, or else a third.”
दक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic approach to restoring rightful honor: the speaker seeks to achieve justice through ethical means—charity, disciplined vows, and austerity—rather than coercion. It also underscores devotion and the belief that inner discipline can realign social-ritual order.
Pārvatī, distressed, asks what religious practice she should perform so that her husband Śiva (Śaṅkara), described as ‘inconceivable,’ will receive his due portion in a sacrifice—ideally half, or at least a third.