Shloka 43
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
सखाय: प्रविविक्तेषु भवन्त्येता: प्रियंवदा: । पितरो धर्मकार्येषु भवन्त्यार्तस्य मातर:,'पत्नी ही एकान्तमें प्रिय वचन बोलनेवाली संगिनी या मित्र है। धर्मकार्योंमें ये स्त्रियाँ पिताकी भाँति पतिकी हितैषिणी होती हैं और संकटके समय माताकी भाँति दुः:खमें हाथ बँटाती तथा कष्ट-निवारणकी चेष्टा करती हैं
duṣyanta uvāca | sakhāyaḥ pravivikteṣu bhavanty etāḥ priyaṃvadāḥ | pitaro dharmakāryeṣu bhavanty ārtasya mātaraḥ |
Duṣyanta said: “In private moments, these women become sweet-speaking companions and true friends. In the performance of dharma and household duties, they stand for a man like a father—guiding him toward what is right and beneficial. And when he is distressed, they become like a mother, sharing his sorrow and striving to remove his suffering.”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an ethical ideal of marriage: a wife is not merely a dependent but a multi-faceted support—intimate companion in private life, a guiding well-wisher in dharmic duties, and a compassionate caregiver in times of distress.
Duṣyanta is speaking about the value and role of women—especially the wife—highlighting how she supports her husband across different contexts: intimacy, righteous action, and crisis.