Shloka 7
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
तेन त्वां परिपृच्छामि धर्मज्ञे धर्मवादिनि । स्त्रीधर्म श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वयोदाह्ृतमादित:
tena tvāṁ paripṛcchāmi dharmajñe dharmavādini | strī-dharmaṁ śrotum icchāmi tvayodāhṛtam āditaḥ ||
C’est pourquoi je t’interroge, ô connaisseuse du dharma et éloquente interprète du dharma. Je souhaite entendre de ta propre bouche les devoirs et la conduite des femmes—exposés pleinement du commencement jusqu’à la fin—afin que la voie juste d’une vie conforme au dharma soit clairement comprise.
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a formal request for a complete exposition of strī-dharma, emphasizing that ethical instruction should be heard systematically “from the beginning,” from a qualified authority who both knows dharma and can articulate it.
Maheśvara addresses a female interlocutor praised as a knower and teacher of dharma, and asks her to explain the code of conduct and duties for women in a thorough, ordered manner.