Mahabharata 1.74.40 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 74, Shloka 40

अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति

Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence

Devanagari script

(पुत्रेण लोकाञ्जयति पौत्रेणानन्त्यमश्चुते । अथ पौत्रस्य पुत्रेण मोदन्ते प्रपितामहा: ।।

Transliteration

putreṇa lokān jayati pautreṇānantyam aśnute | atha pautrasya putreṇa modante prapitāmahāḥ || sā bhāryā yā gṛhe dakṣā sā bhāryā yā prajāvatī | sā bhāryā yā patiprāṇā sā bhāryā yā pativratā ||

Translation

ດຸສຍັນຕະກ່າວວ່າ: «ດ້ວຍລູກຊາຍ ມະນຸດຊະນະໂລກທັງຫຼາຍ; ດ້ວຍຫຼານຊາຍ ຍ່ອມໄດ້ຮັບສຸກອັນບໍ່ສິ້ນສຸດ; ແລະດ້ວຍລູກຂອງຫຼານ ບັນດາປູ່ທວດ (ປຣະປິຕາມະຫາ) ຍ່ອມຊື່ນບານ. ນາງຜູ້ດຽວເທົ່ານັ້ນແມ່ນພັນລະຍາແທ້ ຜູ້ຊ່ຽວຊານໃນວຽກເຮືອນ; ນາງຜູ້ດຽວເທົ່ານັ້ນແມ່ນພັນລະຍາແທ້ ຜູ້ມີລູກຫຼານ; ນາງຜູ້ດຽວເທົ່ານັ້ນແມ່ນພັນລະຍາແທ້ ຜູ້ຖືຜົວເປັນທີ່ຮັກດັ່ງຊີວິດ; ແລະນາງຜູ້ດຽວເທົ່ານັ້ນແມ່ນພັນລະຍາແທ້ ຜູ້ສັດຊື່ຕໍ່ຜົວດ້ວຍປະຕິຍານແລະຄວາມປະພຶດ (pativrata)».

Word by Word

• पुत्रेण: by/through a son
• पुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• जयति: conquers/wins
• जयति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पौत्रेण: by/through a grandson
• पौत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनन्त्यम्: endlessness/immortality (unending state)
• अनन्त्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अश्नुते: attains/obtains
• अश्नुते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• अथ: then/and further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• पौत्रस्य: of the grandson
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रेण: by/through the son
• पुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• मोदन्ते: rejoice
• मोदन्ते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• प्रपितामहाः: great-grandfathers (paternal ancestors)
• प्रपितामहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

दुष्यन्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duṣyanta
• son (putra)
• grandson (pautra)
• great-grandson (pautrasya putra)
• great-grandfathers/ancestors (prapitāmahāḥ)
• wife (bhāryā)
• husband (pati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links household dharma to continuity of lineage: a son brings worldly attainment, a grandson symbolizes enduring welfare, and a great-grandson brings joy to ancestors. It also defines an ideal wife in four traits—household competence, motherhood, deep affection for the husband, and steadfast marital fidelity—presented as ethical norms of the gṛhastha (householder) life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duṣyanta is speaking in a context where the value of marriage and progeny is being emphasized. He articulates why offspring matter for a man’s worldly and ancestral fulfillment and then characterizes what qualities constitute a ‘true wife’ within the social-ethical framework of the epic.