Shloka 34
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 158 — Aṅgāraparṇa-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-tīrtha Saṃghaṭṭa
Encounter at the Gaṅgā ford
जाततपुत्रा च वृद्धा च प्रियकामा च ते सदा । समीक्ष्यैतदहं सर्व व्यवसायं करोम्यतः,मुझसे पुत्र उत्पन्न हो गया, मैं बूढ़ी भी हो चली और सदा आपका प्रिय करनेकी इच्छा रखती आयी हूँ। इन सब बातोंपर विचार करके ही अब मैं मरनेका निश्चय कर रही हूँ
jātaputrā ca vṛddhā ca priyakāmā ca te sadā | samīkṣyaitad ahaṃ sarvaṃ vyavasāyaṃ karomy ataḥ ||
The Brahmin woman said: “I have borne a son, and I have also grown old; and all along I have wished to do what is dear to you. Having reflected on all this, I now make my final resolve—therefore I choose to die.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of deliberate choice (vyavasāya): life decisions should be made after sober reflection on one’s stage of life, responsibilities, and intentions toward others. It also raises the tension between personal resolve and the dharmic evaluation of self-chosen death.
A Brahmin woman speaks to an addressed person (not named in this line). She states that she has already borne a son, has become old, and has long sought to please the addressee; after considering these facts, she declares a firm decision to die.