Shloka 16
लुब्धक-कपोत-कपोती-आख्यानम्
The Hunter and the Pigeon Couple: Expiation and Refuge-Ethics
नास्ति भार्यासमो बन्धुर्नास्ति भार्यासमा गति: । नास्ति भाययासमो लोके सहायो धर्मसंग्रहे
nāsti bhāryāsamo bandhur nāsti bhāryāsamā gatiḥ | nāsti bhāryāsamo loke sahāyo dharmasaṅgrahe ||
Bhīṣma dit : «En ce monde, nul parent n’égale l’épouse ; nul refuge ni voie de vie n’égale l’épouse ; et, pour soutenir et rassembler le dharma, nul auxiliaire n’égale l’épouse. Elle est la compagne la plus proche et le soutien le plus efficace d’une existence réglée par la droiture».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that within worldly life—especially the gṛhastha (householder) sphere—the wife is the closest and most reliable companion: she functions as kin, refuge, and the foremost collaborator in sustaining and practicing dharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he emphasizes household ethics, highlighting the wife’s central role in supporting righteous living and the maintenance of social and moral order.