Shloka 64
कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः
Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma
वीरपत्न्यस्तथा नार्य: संश्रयन्ति नरान् नृप । भर्तारमपि जीवन्तमन्यान् व्यभिचरन्त्युत,राजन! वीर पुरुषोंकी पत्नियाँ भी परपुरुषोंका आश्रय लेंगी और पतिके जीते हुए भी दूसरोंसे व्यभिचार करेंगी
vaśaṃpāyana uvāca |
vīrapatnyas tathā nāryaḥ saṃśrayanti narān nṛpa |
bhartāram api jīvantaṃ anyān vyabhicaranty uta, rājan ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô roi, même les épouses des vaillants —des femmes que l’honneur devrait protéger— chercheront l’appui d’autres hommes ; et, alors même que leurs maris seront encore en vie, elles commettront l’adultère avec d’autres, ô souverain.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a moral warning about the erosion of dharma: when social order declines, even relationships grounded in loyalty and honor—such as a wife’s fidelity to a living husband—are portrayed as breaking down.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is describing a grim social condition (as part of a broader depiction of disorder), stating that women, including the wives of heroic men, will seek protection from other men and commit adultery even while their husbands live.