Shloka 36

Devanagari script

न चाप्यधर्म: कल्याण बहुपत्नीकृतां नृणाम्‌ । स्त्रीणामधर्म: सुमहान्‌ भर्तु: पूर्वस्य लड्घने,कल्याणस्वरूप हृदयेश्वर! बहुत-सी स्त्रियोंसे विवाह करनेवाले पुरुषोंको भी पाप नहीं लगता। परंतु स्त्रियोंको अपने पूर्वपतिका उल्लंघन करनेपर बड़ा भारी पाप लगता है

Transliteration

na cāpy adharmaḥ kalyāṇa bahupatnīkṛtāṃ nṛṇām | strīṇām adharmaḥ sumahān bhartuḥ pūrvasya laṅghane ||

Translation

Le brāhmane dit : « Ô noble être, il n’est pas tenu pour contraire au dharma qu’un homme prenne plusieurs épouses. Mais pour une femme, enfreindre le lien avec son premier mari est réputé un péché très grave. »

Word by Word

नnot

चand

अपिalso/even

अधर्मःsin/adharma

कल्याणO auspicious one

बहुपत्नीhaving many wives

कृतानाम्of those who have made/contracted (i.e., taken as wives)

नृणाम्of men

स्त्रीणाम्of women

अधर्मःsin/adharma

सुमहान्very great

भर्तुःof the husband

पूर्वस्यof the former/previous

लङ्घनेin transgressing/violating

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (a brāhmaṇa speaker)

क

कल्यााण (addressed person: ‘O noble/auspicious one’)

भ

भर्तृ (husband, as a social-ethical role)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts social-ethical standards: polygyny in men is presented as not inherently adharma, while a woman’s violation of fidelity to her prior husband is described as a grave adharma—highlighting asymmetrical marital norms discussed in the narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker is instructing or admonishing an addressed noble person, framing the issue in terms of dharma by stating what is (and is not) considered sinful conduct regarding marriage and fidelity.