Shloka 5
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
क्षुरधारा विषं सर्पो वल्विरित्येकतः स्त्रिय: । प्रजा इमा महाबाहो धार्मिक्य इति न: श्रुतम्
kṣuradhārā viṣaṃ sarpo valvir ity ekataḥ striyaḥ | prajā imā mahābāho dhārmikyā iti naḥ śrutam ||
ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ക്ഷുരധാര, വിഷം, സർപ്പം, അഗ്നി—ഇവയെല്ലാം ഒരുമിച്ച് സ്ത്രീകളോട് ഉപമിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. എങ്കിലും, ഹേ മഹാബാഹോ! ഈ സ്ത്രീകളേ സ്വഭാവത്തിൽ ധാർമ്മികരാണെന്ന് ഞങ്ങൾ കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes a harsh proverbial warning about the potential danger associated with women (likened to razor, poison, serpent, fire) with a counter-tradition affirming their capacity for righteousness. Ethically, it signals that inherited stereotypes exist, yet dharma requires a more balanced recognition of women’s moral agency and virtue.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instructional setting, Bhīṣma continues advising the king on dharma. Here he cites a traditional saying that portrays women as perilous, then immediately notes another received teaching that calls them dhārmikī, setting up a nuanced discussion rather than a one-sided condemnation.