Shloka 15

Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46

Devanagari script

सज्जन्ति पुरुषे नार्य: पुंसां सो<्डर्थश्व॒ पुष्कल: । अन्यथारक्षत: शापो5भविष्यत्‌ ते मतिश्न मे

Transliteration

Vipula uvāca: sajjanti puruṣe nāryaḥ, puṁsāṁ so 'rthaś ca puṣkalaḥ | anyathā rakṣataḥ śāpo 'bhaviṣyat te, matiś ca me striyāḥ puruṣe 'saktā bhavati ||

Translation

വിഫുലൻ പറഞ്ഞു— “സ്ത്രീകൾ പുരുഷനോട് ഗാഢമായി ആസക്തരാകുന്നു; പുരുഷന്മാർക്കും അതുപോലെ ശക്തമായ അനുരാഗമുണ്ട്. നിന്റെ ഉദ്ദേശം അവളെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നതിനു വിരുദ്ധമായിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ, നിനക്കു തീർച്ചയായും ശാപം ലഭിക്കുമായിരുന്നു—എന്റെ മനസ്സും നിന്നെ ശപിക്കുവാൻ തിരിഞ്ഞേനേ.”

Word by Word

• {'sajjanti': 'become attached

• are devoted', 'puruṣe': 'in/unto a man (locative of puruṣa)', 'nāryaḥ': 'women', 'puṁsām': 'of men', 'saḥ': 'that

• he (contextual pronoun)', 'arthaḥ': 'meaning

• benefit', 'ca': 'and', 'puṣkalaḥ': 'abundant

• substantial', 'anyathā': 'otherwise

• in a contrary manner', 'rakṣataḥ': 'of one who protects / while protecting (genitive/ablative sense from rakṣat)', 'śāpaḥ': 'curse', 'abhaviṣyat': 'would have occurred

• would have come to be', 'te': 'to you

• your', 'matiḥ': 'mind

• resolve', 'me': 'my', 'striyāḥ': 'a woman / of a woman (context: the woman in question)', 'āsaktā': 'attached

• devoted', 'bhavati': 'is

Speaker

विपुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vipula

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a dharmic standard: when one is in a position to protect, one’s intention must align with guardianship and restraint. If the intent turns exploitative or contrary to protection, it becomes morally blameworthy and invites the consequence of a curse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vipula addresses another person, explaining the natural mutual attachment between women and men, and warns that if the other’s attitude had opposed the duty of protection, the other would have incurred a curse—and Vipula himself would have been compelled to curse.