Shloka 14

Devanagari script

नापराधो<स्ति सुभगे नराणां बहुभार्यता । प्रमदानां भवत्येष मा ते5भूद बुद्धिरीदृशी,“सुभगे! कोई पुरुष बहुत-सी स्त्रियोंको पत्नी बनाकर रखे, तो उनके लिये यह अपराध या दोषकी बात नहीं होती। स्त्रियाँ यदि ऐसा करें (अनेक पुरुषोंसे सम्बन्ध रखें) तो यह उनके लिये अवश्य दोष या पापकी बात होती है। अतः तुम्हारी बुद्धि ऐसी क्रूर नहीं होनी चाहिये

Transliteration

na aparādho 'sti subhage narāṇāṁ bahu-bhāryatā | pramadānāṁ bhavaty eṣa mā te 'bhūd buddhir īdṛśī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O fortunate lady, it is not regarded as a fault for men to have many wives. But for women, such conduct—having relations with many men—is indeed treated as blameworthy. Therefore, do not let your mind become like this (harsh or misguided).”

Word by Word

नnot

अपराधःoffence, fault

अस्तिis/exists

सुभगेO fortunate/beautiful one

नराणाम्of men

बहु-भार्यताhaving many wives (polygyny)

प्रमदानाम्of women

भवतिbecomes/is

एषःthis

माdo not

तेof you/your

अभूत्was/occurred

बुद्धिःmind, thought, intention

ईदृशीsuch (of this kind)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse articulates a normative social-ethical distinction: multiple wives for men is presented as socially non-culpable, whereas multiple male partners for women is framed as blameworthy; it concludes by urging the addressed woman to avoid a harsh or misguided mindset arising from this issue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, reports a counsel addressed to a woman called “Subhagā,” explaining prevailing standards of marital conduct and advising her not to adopt an unwholesome or severe attitude in response.