Shloka 47
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
न कामेषु न भोगेषु नैश्वर्ये न सुखे तथा । स्पृहा यस्या यथा पत्यौ सा नारी धर्मभागिनी
na kāmeṣu na bhogeṣu naiśvarye na sukhe tathā | spṛhā yasyā yathā patyau sā nārī dharmabhāginī ||
Śrī Maheśvara dit : La femme dont l’ardent désir demeure fixé sur son époux—au point qu’elle n’éprouve nul attrait comparable pour les plaisirs des sens, les jouissances, la puissance du monde, ni même le confort—celle-là est véritablement co-partageante du dharma, compagne de droiture par sa fidélité conjugale inébranlable.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises single-minded marital fidelity: a woman is called a ‘sharer in dharma’ when her primary longing is for her husband and she is not driven by cravings for sensual pleasure, enjoyment, power, or comfort. The ethical emphasis is on restraint (spṛhā-nirodha) and prioritizing duty and commitment within the household order.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Śrī Maheśvara speaks as an authoritative teacher, defining the qualities of a pativratā and explaining how such steadfast devotion is regarded as participation in dharma and a source of religious merit.