Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भार्या हि परमो हार्थ: पुरुषस्येह पठ्यते | असहायस्य लोके<स्मिंललोकयात्रासहायिनी,'पुरुषकी प्रधान सम्पत्ति उसकी पत्नी ही कही जाती है। इस लोकमें जो असहाय है, उसे भी लोक-यात्रामें सहायता देनेवाली उसकी पत्नी ही है

Transliteration

bhāryā hi paramo hārthaḥ puruṣasyeha paṭhyate | asahāyasya loke 'smin lokayātrāsahāyinī ||

Translation

Bhishma berkata: “Di dunia ini, istri disebut sebagai harta tertinggi bagi seorang pria. Bahkan bagi yang tak memiliki penopang lain, dialah penolong yang membuat perjalanan hidup ini dapat dijalani.”

Word by Word

भार्याwife

हिindeed/for

परमःsupreme/chief

अर्थःwealth/asset/value

पुरुषस्यof a man

इहhere/in this world

पठ्यतेis said/recited

असहायस्यof one who is without help

लोकेin the world

अस्मिन्in this

लोकयात्रासहायिनीhelper in the journey of life (worldly course)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that within dharma-oriented worldly life, the wife is regarded as a person’s highest ‘wealth’—not merely materially, but as the essential companion who enables stability, duty, and the sustaining of life’s journey.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right living, Bhishma is advising about the foundations of household life, emphasizing the wife’s role as the primary support and partner in navigating worldly responsibilities.