Shloka 24
Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46
एताः कृत्याश्च कार्याश्च कृताश्च भरतर्षभ | न चैकस्मिन् रमन्त्येता: पुरुषे पाण्डुनन्दन
etāḥ kṛtyāś ca kāryāś ca kṛtāś ca bharatarṣabha | na caikasmin ramanty etāḥ puruṣe pāṇḍunandana ||
Vipula dit : «Ô taureau des Bhārata, ô fils de Pāṇḍu, de telles femmes sont semblables à des sortilèges meurtriers : une fois “prises” par un homme, elles deviennent aussi propres à être “prises” par un autre. Elles ne demeurent pas vouées à un seul homme ; leur attachement ne se fixe pas en un seul lieu.»
विपुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a harsh metaphor to warn that unchaste or unreliable attachment leads to instability in relationships; ethically, it cautions against conduct that breaks exclusive commitment and undermines trust.
Vipula is advising a Pāṇḍava addressee within Anuśāsana-parvan’s moral instruction, characterizing certain women as fickle—once accepted by one man, they may turn to another—thus framing a warning about fidelity and self-restraint.