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Shloka 37

Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda

पत्नीशाला कृता यस्य परेषां वाहिनीमुखम्‌

patnīśālā kṛtā yasya pareṣāṃ vāhinīmukham

អម្បារីសៈ បាននិយាយថា៖ «សម្រាប់អ្នកណា ដែលសូម្បីតែ ‘មុខទ័ព’ របស់ខ្លួន ត្រូវបានបម្លែងទៅជា ‘សាលាប្រពន្ធ’—នោះគឺ មុខទ័ពសង្គ្រាមត្រូវបានបន្ថយឲ្យក្លាយជាកន្លែងនៃការពឹងផ្អែកក្នុងផ្ទះ និងការលួងលោម—មនុស្សបែបនោះ មិនអាចឈររឹងមាំក្នុងកាតព្វកិច្ចនៃការដឹកនាំ និងធម៌បានទេ»។

पत्नीशालाwomen’s quarters; harem
पत्नीशाला:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपत्नी-शाला
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
कृताmade; turned into
कृता:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (कृत)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
यस्यof whom; whose
यस्य:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular
परेषाम्of others; of enemies
परेषाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootपर
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
वाहिनीमुखम्the front/van of an army
वाहिनीमुखम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवाहिनी-मुख
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular

अम्बरीष उवाच

A
Ambarīṣa
V
vāhinī (army/vanguard)
P
patnīśālā (wives’ pavilion)

Educational Q&A

The verse uses a sharp metaphor to warn that a leader who lets sensuality or domestic indulgence dominate his public duty becomes unfit for steadfast, righteous leadership; self-mastery is presented as essential to dharma and governance.

In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Ambarīṣa speaks in a moralizing tone, criticizing a type of ruler/warrior whose military resolve is metaphorically ‘converted’ into a private pleasure-space, implying loss of discipline and public responsibility.