Shloka 84
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
अर्धेनौधवती नाम त्वामर्धेनानुयास्यति । शरीरेण महाभागा योगो हाुस्या वशे स्थित:,“अपने तपोबलसे युक्त यह ब्रह्मवादिनी नारी संसारको पवित्र करनेके लिये अपने आधे शरीरसे ओघवती नामवाली श्रेष्ठ नदी होगी और आधे शरीरसे यह परम सौभाग्यवती सती तुम्हारी सेवामें रहेगी। योग सदा इसके वशमें रहेगा
ardhenaudhavatī nāma tvām ardhenānuyāsyati | śarīreṇa mahābhāgā yogo hāsyā vaśe sthitaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Dengan separuh dirinya dia akan menjadi sungai unggul bernama Oghavatī, menyucikan dunia; dengan separuh yang lain, wanita yang amat berbahagia dan suci itu akan tetap berkhidmat kepadamu. Yoga—disiplin rohani dan penguasaan diri—akan sentiasa berada di bawah kendalinya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse praises a woman’s tapas and dharmic power: her merit is portrayed as both world-benefiting (becoming a purifying river) and personally devoted (remaining in service). It also presents yoga as disciplined mastery that can be firmly ‘under one’s control’ through virtue and austerity.
Bhīṣma describes a miraculous, merit-born outcome: the virtuous woman is said to manifest in a dual way—one aspect becoming the river Oghavatī that purifies the world, while another aspect remains present to attend and serve ‘you,’ emphasizing both cosmic benefit and personal duty.