Shloka 23
Vipula’s Yogic Protection of the Guru’s Household (विपुलस्य योगरक्षा / Vipulasya Yogarakṣā)
अलाभात् पुरुषाणां हि भयात् परिजनस्य च । वधबन्धभयाच्चापि स्वयं गुप्ता भवन्ति ता:,पुरुषोंके न मिलनेसे, घरके दूसरे लोगोंके भयसे तथा वध और बन्धनके डरसे ही स्त्रियाँ सुरक्षित रहती हैं
alābhāt puruṣāṇāṃ hi bhayāt parijanasya ca | vadhabandhabhayāc cāpi svayaṃ guptā bhavanti tāḥ ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Karena tidak tersedianya laki-laki, karena takut kepada keluarga dan kerabat, dan juga karena takut dibunuh atau dipenjarakan, perempuan-perempuan itu menjaga diri—menahan diri demi keselamatan mereka sendiri.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma frames “safety/guarding” as arising from social constraints and fear—absence of opportunity, fear of family censure, and fear of punishment—highlighting how external pressures can enforce restraint and what is presented as protection.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and social conduct; here he comments on the factors by which women are said to remain guarded, emphasizing household oversight and deterrence through fear of consequences.