Shloka 46

Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)

Devanagari script

पूज्या लालयितव्याश्ष स्त्रियो नित्यं जनाधिप । नरेश्वर! यदि स्त्रीकी रुचि पूर्ण न की जाय तो वह अपने पतिको प्रसन्न नहीं कर सकती और उस अवस्थामें उस पुरुषकी संतानवृद्धि नहीं हो सकती। इसलिये सदा ही स्त्रियोंका सत्कार और दुलार करना चाहिये

Transliteration

pūjyā lālayitavyāś ca striyo nityaṃ janādhipa | nareśvara! yadi strīkī ruci pūrṇa na kīyate to sā svapatiṃ prasannaṃ na karoti, tathā ca tasminn avasthāyāṃ tasya puruṣasya santāna-vṛddhir na bhavati | tasmāt sadā strīṇāṃ satkāraś ca lālanaṃ ca kartavyam, bharatanandana! striya eva gṛhasya lakṣmī bhavanti | unnatiṃ kāṅkṣatā puruṣeṇa tāsāṃ yathāvat satkāraḥ kartavyaḥ | sva-vaśe sthāpayitvā pālanena strī śrī-rūpā bhavati ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Wahai penguasa manusia, para perempuan hendaknya senantiasa dihormati dan diperlakukan dengan kasih sayang. Wahai raja! Jika keinginan dan kecenderungan seorang perempuan tidak dipenuhi, ia tidak dapat tetap berkenan kepada suaminya; dan dalam keadaan demikian, garis keturunan sang lelaki pun tidak berkembang melalui anak. Karena itu, wahai keturunan Bharata, hendaknya perempuan selalu dimuliakan dan disayangi. Perempuan sungguh adalah Lakshmi rumah tangga. Seorang lelaki yang menghendaki kemakmuran wajib menghormati mereka dengan semestinya; bila ia memelihara dan melindungi mereka dalam tatanan rumah tangga, perempuan itu menjadi perwujudan Śrī (keberuntungan) sendiri.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'pūjyā', 'definition': 'worthy of honor

• to be revered'}, {'term': 'lālayitavyāḥ', 'definition': 'to be cherished/caressed

• to be treated with affectionate care'}, {'term': 'striyaḥ', 'definition': 'women'}, {'term': 'nityaṃ', 'definition': 'always

• continually'}, {'term': 'janādhipa / nareśvara', 'definition': 'lord of the people

• king'}, {'term': 'ruci', 'definition': 'liking, preference, wish, inclination'}, {'term': 'prasanna', 'definition': 'pleased, satisfied, gracious'}, {'term': 'pati / svapati', 'definition': 'husband

• one’s own husband'}, {'term': 'santāna-vṛddhi', 'definition': 'increase/prosperity of progeny

• growth of lineage'}, {'term': 'satkāra', 'definition': 'honor, respectful reception, proper regard'}, {'term': 'bharatanandana', 'definition': 'delighter of the Bharatas

• epithet addressing the Kuru king'}, {'term': 'gṛhasya lakṣmī', 'definition': 'the fortune/auspicious prosperity of the household'}, {'term': 'unnati', 'definition': 'rise, advancement, prosperity'}, {'term': 'sva-vaśe sthāpayitvā', 'definition': 'having kept within one’s governance/household order (lit. ‘in one’s control’)'}, {'term': 'pālana', 'definition': 'protection, maintenance, care'}, {'term': 'śrī-rūpā', 'definition': 'having the form of Śrī

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira (implied addressee: janādhipa, nareśvara, bharatanandana)
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that household prosperity and continuity of lineage depend on honoring women with respect and affectionate care; women are described as the household’s Lakṣmī, and proper regard for them is presented as a key element of gṛhastha-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here, within the discussion of marriage duties and praise of women (strī-praśaṃsā), he emphasizes the ethical and practical necessity of treating women with honor and tenderness for domestic harmony and prosperity.