Shloka 9
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
प्राप्प दक्षिणमूरुं मे त्वमाश्लिष्टा वराड़ने । अपत्यानां स्नुषाणां च भीरु विद्धोतदासनम्,वरांगने! तुम मेरी दाहिनी जाँघपर आकर बैठी हो। भीरु! तुम्हें मालूम होना चाहिये कि यह पुत्र, पुत्री तथा पुत्रवधूका आसन है
prāptaṃ dakṣiṇam ūruṃ me tvam āśliṣṭā varāṅgane | apatyānāṃ snuṣāṇāṃ ca bhīru viddhy etad āsanam ||
Pratīpa said: “O fair-limbed lady, you have come and embraced my right thigh. O timid one, know that this seat is meant for one’s children and for daughters-in-law.”
प्रतीप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights maryādā (propriety): bodily proximity and seating positions carry social and ethical meaning, and a king is expected to uphold boundaries that protect familial and societal order.
King Pratīpa addresses a woman who has sat upon and embraced his right thigh; he explains that such a position is reserved for one’s children or daughters-in-law, indicating that her gesture is not appropriate for a stranger and signaling restraint.