Shloka 36
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
सा भवेद् धर्मपरमा सा भवेद् धर्मभागिनी । देववत् सततं साध्वी या भर्तरें प्रपश्यति
sā bhaved dharmaparamā sā bhaved dharmabhāginī | devavat satataṃ sādhvī yā bhartaraṃ prapaśyati ||
Elle doit être tenue pour souverainement vouée au dharma ; elle partage les fruits du dharma : la femme vertueuse qui, sans cesse, regarde son époux comme un dieu. Le point éthique est que la fidélité inébranlable, la révérence et la bonne conduite dans le mariage sont présentées comme une forme majeure de vie juste et comme une source de mérite religieux.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a wife who consistently regards her husband with reverence—‘as divine’—and maintains virtuous conduct is considered dharma-centered and becomes a participant in the fruits of dharma. It frames marital fidelity and respectful devotion as a principal ethical-religious duty.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Śrī Maheśvara is instructing on norms of conduct (dharma), specifically describing the qualities and religious standing of a ‘sādhvī’ wife and how such conduct is linked to merit.