Shloka 10
Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)
स्त्रीप्रत्ययो हि वै धर्मो रतिभोगाश्ष केवला: । परिचर्या नमस्कारास्तदायत्ता भवन्तु व:
Bhīṣma uvāca: strīpratyayo hi vai dharmo ratibhogāś ca kevalāḥ | paricaryā namaskārās tadāyattā bhavantu vaḥ, mahārāja ||
Bhīṣma dit : «En vérité, le dharma repose sur les femmes comme sur son fondement. Vos plaisirs d’amour, votre service et vos actes de révérence dépendent d’elles, ô grand roi. Que jouissance, assistance et salutations respectueuses soient donc accomplies en sachant qu’elles tiennent aux femmes, et que les femmes soient honorées comme indispensables à l’accomplissement de la vie juste.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that dharma is sustained through women, and therefore men’s key aspects of household life—intimacy, service, and reverence—are dependent on women; ethically, it urges honoring and respecting women as integral to righteous living.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), teaching norms of conduct and social ethics; here he emphasizes the indispensable role of women in sustaining dharma and the duties of respect toward them.