Shloka 68

Kirmīra-rākṣasa-saṃgamaḥ (Encounter and Slaying of Kirmīra) | किर्मीरेण सह भीमसेनसमागमः

Devanagari script

शाश्वृतो<5यं धर्मपथ: सद्धिराचरित: सदा । यद्‌ भार्या परिरक्षन्ति भर्तारोडल्पबला अपि,सत्पुरुषोंद्वारा सदा आचरणमें लाया हुआ यह धर्मका सनातन मार्ग है कि निर्बल पति भी अपनी पत्नीकी रक्षा करते हैं

Transliteration

śāśvato 'yaṃ dharmapathaḥ sadbhir ācaritaḥ sadā | yad bhāryāḥ parirakṣanti bhartāro 'lpabalā api ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Inilah jalan dharma yang kekal, sentiasa diamalkan oleh orang-orang berbudi: bahawa para suami, walau berdaya kecil sekalipun, melindungi isteri mereka.”

Word by Word

शाश्वतःeternal, perpetual

अयम्this

धर्मपथःpath of dharma

सद्भिःby the good (people)

आचरितःpractised, followed

सदाalways

यत्that which

भार्याःwives

परिरक्षन्तिprotect

भर्तारःhusbands

अल्पबलाःof little strength, weak

अपिeven, also

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms a normative dharma: protection of one’s wife is a husband’s duty, upheld as an ancient and continuous standard of conduct among the virtuous, irrespective of the husband’s personal strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, states a general ethical principle (dharma-vacana) to frame or justify conduct in the surrounding episode: the righteous tradition expects husbands to safeguard their wives, even under disadvantage.