Mahabharata 3.69.41 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 69, Shloka 41
ऋतुपर्णस्य विदर्भयात्रा-निश्चयः तथा बाहुकस्य हयपरिक्षा (Ṛtuparṇa’s resolve to go to Vidarbha and Bāhuka’s examination of horses)
भर्तव्या रक्षणीया च पत्नी पत्या हि सर्वदा । तन्नष्टमुभयं कस्माद् धर्मज्ञस्य सतस्तव
bhartavyā rakṣaṇīyā ca patnī patyā hi sarvadā | tan-naṣṭam ubhayaṁ kasmād dharmajñasya sataḥ tava ||
ഭർത്താവ് എപ്പോഴും ഭാര്യയെ പോഷിപ്പിക്കുകയും സംരക്ഷിക്കുകയും വേണം. അങ്ങനെയിരിക്കെ ധർമ്മജ്ഞനും സജ്ജനനുമായ നിങ്ങൾക്കു, പ്രാണനാഥാ, ആ രണ്ടു കടമകളും പെട്ടെന്നെങ്ങനെ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു?
युदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a key householder (gṛhastha) obligation: a husband must consistently provide for and protect his wife. Neglect of these two duties is presented as a moral failure, especially shocking when attributed to someone reputed to be dharma-knowing and virtuous.
The speaker confronts her husband with an ethical appeal: since he is regarded as righteous, she questions how his fundamental responsibilities—maintenance and protection of his wife—have come to be abandoned or rendered ineffective in the present situation.
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