Shloka 103
Vipula’s Guru-Obedience, Divine Flowers, and the Peril of Others’ Oaths (विपुलोपाख्यानम्—पुष्पप्राप्तिः शपथ-प्रसङ्गश्च)
बृहस्पतिप्रभृतिभिरमर्मन्ये सद्धि: कृतानि वै । शत्रुघाती नरेश! मुझे तो ऐसा लगता है कि स्त्रियोंकी बुद्धिमें जो अर्थ भरा है
bṛhaspatiprabhṛtibhir amarmanye saddhiḥ kṛtāni vai | śatrughātī nareśa! muhe to evaṃ lagatā hai ki striyoṃ kī buddhimeṃ yo artha bharā hai, usīkā niṣkarṣa (sārāṃśa) lekara bṛhaspati ādi satpuruṣoṃ ne nītiśāstrōṃ kī racanā kī hai |
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai raja, pembinasa musuh! Aku yakin bahwa kitab-kitab nīti dan tata laku yang disusun para resi mulia seperti Bṛhaspati dibuat dengan menyarikan inti makna serta kebijaksanaan praktis yang bersemayam dalam kecerdasan perempuan.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises women’s practical discernment and suggests that authoritative works on ethics and statecraft (nītiśāstra), even those attributed to great sages like Bṛhaspati, reflect a distilled essence of that lived, meaningful intelligence—highlighting respect for experiential wisdom as a source of dharmic counsel.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king (styled ‘slayer of foes’) while discussing principles of conduct and governance, and he underscores that renowned ethical/political teachings can be seen as drawn from the insightful understanding found in women.