Shloka 14

लुब्धक-कपोत-कपोती-आख्यानम्

The Hunter and the Pigeon Couple: Expiation and Refuge-Ethics

Devanagari script

भार्या हि परमो हार्थ: पुरुषस्येह पठ्यते | असहायस्य लोके<स्मिंललोकयात्रासहायिनी

Transliteration

bhāryā hi paramo hārthaḥ puruṣasyeha paṭhyate | asahāyasya loke 'smin lokayātrāsahāyinī ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «En este mundo se enseña que la mayor riqueza del hombre es su esposa. Incluso para quien carece de apoyo, ella es la ayuda por la cual se sostiene el viaje de la vida en esta tierra.»

Word by Word

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• परमः: supreme/chief
• परमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अर्थः: wealth/asset/value
• अर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषस्य: of a man
• पुरुषस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• पठ्यते: is said/recited
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• असहायस्य: of one who is without help
• असहायस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असहाय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• लोकयात्रासहायिनी: helper in the journey of life (worldly course)
• लोकयात्रासहायिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकयात्रासहायिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that within dharma-oriented worldly life, the wife is regarded as a person’s highest ‘wealth’—not merely materially, but as the essential companion who enables stability, duty, and the sustaining of life’s journey.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Bhishma is advising about the foundations of household life, emphasizing the wife’s role as the primary support and partner in navigating worldly responsibilities.