Shloka 14
छत्रोपानहदानफलप्रशंसा — Praise of the Merit of Donating Umbrella and Footwear
सा वै खिन्ना सुचार्वगी पदभ्यां दुःखं नियच्छती । उपाजगाम भर्तरें भयाद् भर्तु: प्रवेषती
sā vai khinnā sucārv-aṅgī padabhyāṁ duḥkhaṁ niyacchatī | upājagāma bhartāraṁ bhayād bhartuḥ pravepatī ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Reṇukā, l’illustre femme aux beaux membres, revint en portant ces flèches. Elle était à bout de forces ; supportant tant bien que mal la brûlure de ses pieds, elle s’approcha de son époux, tremblante de crainte.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical cost of fear-driven authority: when power in a household inspires terror, even ordinary duties become suffering. It implicitly calls for dharmic conduct grounded in compassion rather than intimidation.
Renuka comes back carrying the arrows. She is physically pained—her feet burn—and emotionally distressed, approaching her husband while trembling out of fear of him.