Shloka 28
चित्रसेन-समागमः / The Engagement with Citrasena and the Gandharvas
अनर्म चापि हसित द्वारि स्थानमभीक्ष्णश: । अवस्करे चिरस्थानं निष्कुटेषु च वर्जये,“पतिके किये हुए परिहासके सिवा अन्य समयमें मैं नहीं हँसा करती, दरवाजेपर बार- बार नहीं खड़ी होती, जहाँ कूड़े-करकट फेंके जाते हों, ऐसे गंदे स्थानोंमें देरतक नहीं ठहरती और बगीचोंमें भी बहुत देरतक अकेली नहीं घूमती हूँ
anarma cāpi hasita dvāri sthānam abhīkṣṇaśaḥ | avaskare cirasthānaṃ niṣkuṭeṣu ca varjaye ||
Except for playful jest with my husband, I do not laugh at other times. I do not stand repeatedly at the doorway. I do not linger long in filthy places where refuse is thrown, and I also avoid wandering alone for long in secluded garden-groves.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes disciplined, reputation-protecting conduct: avoiding needless public display (loitering at doorways), avoiding impure places, and avoiding prolonged solitary roaming in secluded spots—framing self-restraint and propriety as aspects of dharma.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a statement describing a woman’s code of behavior—how she regulates laughter, where she stands or lingers, and which places she avoids—presented as evidence of her modesty and careful adherence to accepted norms.