Shloka 26

Devanagari script

मन्दपाल उवाच न ्त्रीणां विद्यते किंचिदमुत्र पुरुषान्तरात्‌ । सापत्नकमृते लोके नान्यदर्थविनाशनम्‌,मन्दपालने कहा--परलोकमें स्त्रियोंके लिये परपुरुषसे सम्बन्ध और सौतियाडाहको छोड़कर दूसरा कोई दोष उनके परमार्थका नाश करनेवाला नहीं है

Transliteration

Mandapāla uvāca | na strīṇāṃ vidyate kiṃcid amutra puruṣāntarāt | sāpatnakam ṛte loke nānyad artha-vināśanam ||

Translation

Mandapāla dit : «Pour les femmes, dans l’au-delà, rien ne ruine le véritable bien sinon l’attachement à un autre homme. Hormis la jalousie et la rivalité nées des coépouses, rien d’autre en ce monde ne détruit leur bien le plus haut.»

Word by Word

मन्दपालःMandapāla

उवाचsaid

नnot

स्त्रीणाम्of women

विद्यतेexists / is found

किञ्चित्anything

अमुत्रthere (in the other world)

पुरुषान्तरात्from another man (i.e., other than one’s husband)

सापत्नकम्co-wife rivalry / jealousy among co-wives

ऋतेexcept / without

लोकेin the world

नnot

अन्यत्anything else

अर्थविनाशनम्destroying welfare/true good (spiritual good)

Speaker

मन्दपाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

मन्दपाल (Mandapāla)

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 frames ethical danger in household life as primarily arising from illicit relations with another man and from co-wife rivalry; these are presented as the chief causes that undermine a woman’s ultimate welfare (artha) and moral standing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mandapala is speaking in a reflective, admonitory tone, drawing a moral conclusion about conduct and its consequences, especially regarding fidelity and the social-emotional turmoil created by rivalry among co-wives.