Shloka 19
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement
विहाराहारकालेषु माल्यशय्यासनेषु च । स्त्रियश्व ते सुगुप्ता: स्युर्वद्धैराप्तैरधिषछ्ठिता:
vihārāhārakāleṣu mālyaśayyāsaneṣu ca | striyaś ca te sugupṭāḥ syur vṛddhair āptair adhiṣṭhitāḥ ||
वैशम्पायन बोले— विहार और भोजन के समय, तथा माला, शय्या और आसन आदि के प्रसंगों में भी तुम्हारी स्त्रियाँ भलीभाँति सुरक्षित रहें; विश्वस्त वृद्ध जन उनकी देख-रेख और अधिष्ठान करें।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes dharmic guardianship: in everyday social settings—leisure, meals, and domestic arrangements—women should be safeguarded through responsible oversight by trustworthy elders, reflecting an ethic of protection and regulated conduct.
Vaiśampāyana continues a prescriptive passage on proper conduct and household/royal management, specifying that women are to be kept secure and supervised by reliable senior guardians during routine activities and in domestic spaces.