Shloka 46

Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)

Devanagari script

पूज्या लालयितव्याश्ष स्त्रियो नित्यं जनाधिप । नरेश्वर! यदि स्त्रीकी रुचि पूर्ण न की जाय तो वह अपने पतिको प्रसन्न नहीं कर सकती और उस अवस्थामें उस पुरुषकी संतानवृद्धि नहीं हो सकती। इसलिये सदा ही स्त्रियोंका सत्कार और दुलार करना चाहिये

Transliteration

pūjyā lālayitavyāś ca striyo nityaṃ janādhipa | nareśvara! yadi strīkī ruci pūrṇa na kīyate to sā svapatiṃ prasannaṃ na karoti, tathā ca tasminn avasthāyāṃ tasya puruṣasya santāna-vṛddhir na bhavati | tasmāt sadā strīṇāṃ satkāraś ca lālanaṃ ca kartavyam, bharatanandana! striya eva gṛhasya lakṣmī bhavanti | unnatiṃ kāṅkṣatā puruṣeṇa tāsāṃ yathāvat satkāraḥ kartavyaḥ | sva-vaśe sthāpayitvā pālanena strī śrī-rūpā bhavati ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ô souverain des hommes, les femmes doivent toujours être honorées et entourées d’une sollicitude affectueuse. Si les souhaits et les inclinations d’une femme ne sont pas comblés, elle ne peut demeurer satisfaite auprès de son époux ; et dans un tel état, la lignée de l’homme ne prospère pas par la descendance. C’est pourquoi, ô descendant de Bharata, il faut sans cesse témoigner aux femmes respect et tendresse. Les femmes sont véritablement la Lakṣmī de la maison. L’homme qui recherche la prospérité doit les honorer comme il convient ; lorsqu’il les entretient et les protège dans l’ordre du foyer, la femme devient l’incarnation même de Śrī (la fortune).»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'pūjyā', 'definition': 'worthy of honor

• to be revered'}, {'term': 'lālayitavyāḥ', 'definition': 'to be cherished/caressed

• to be treated with affectionate care'}, {'term': 'striyaḥ', 'definition': 'women'}, {'term': 'nityaṃ', 'definition': 'always

• continually'}, {'term': 'janādhipa / nareśvara', 'definition': 'lord of the people

• king'}, {'term': 'ruci', 'definition': 'liking, preference, wish, inclination'}, {'term': 'prasanna', 'definition': 'pleased, satisfied, gracious'}, {'term': 'pati / svapati', 'definition': 'husband

• one’s own husband'}, {'term': 'santāna-vṛddhi', 'definition': 'increase/prosperity of progeny

• growth of lineage'}, {'term': 'satkāra', 'definition': 'honor, respectful reception, proper regard'}, {'term': 'bharatanandana', 'definition': 'delighter of the Bharatas

• epithet addressing the Kuru king'}, {'term': 'gṛhasya lakṣmī', 'definition': 'the fortune/auspicious prosperity of the household'}, {'term': 'unnati', 'definition': 'rise, advancement, prosperity'}, {'term': 'sva-vaśe sthāpayitvā', 'definition': 'having kept within one’s governance/household order (lit. ‘in one’s control’)'}, {'term': 'pālana', 'definition': 'protection, maintenance, care'}, {'term': 'śrī-rūpā', 'definition': 'having the form of Śrī

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira (implied addressee: janādhipa, nareśvara, bharatanandana)
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that household prosperity and continuity of lineage depend on honoring women with respect and affectionate care; women are described as the household’s Lakṣmī, and proper regard for them is presented as a key element of gṛhastha-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here, within the discussion of marriage duties and praise of women (strī-praśaṃsā), he emphasizes the ethical and practical necessity of treating women with honor and tenderness for domestic harmony and prosperity.