Shloka 1083
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
भार्याचतुर्थे धर्मज्ञे ततो5हं नि:सृतो बिलात् । 'स्त्री, पुत्र और पुत्रवधूके साथ वे धर्मज्ञ ब्राह्मण जब स्वर्गलोकको चले गये, तब मैं अपनी बिलसे बाहर निकला
bhāryā-caturthe dharmajñe tato 'haṃ niḥsṛto bilāt |
When that righteous brāhmaṇa—accompanied by his wife as the fourth member (along with his son and daughter-in-law)—departed for the heavenly world, I then emerged from my burrow. The line underscores the ethical force of dharma: the brāhmaṇa’s household, united in right conduct, attains a higher destiny, and the speaker’s release from concealment follows their ascent.
श्षशुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fruit of dharma lived collectively: a righteous brāhmaṇa household, steadfast in proper conduct, is portrayed as attaining heaven. Ethical life is shown not merely as individual virtue but as a shared, family-sustained commitment.
The speaker (identified as the father-in-law) reports that after the righteous brāhmaṇa, together with his wife (as the fourth member alongside son and daughter-in-law), departs for heaven, the speaker comes out from his burrow—suggesting he had been hidden or confined and is now able to emerge after their departure.