Shloka 52

Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्‌ दुर्बलानाथान्‌ दीनान्धकृपणांस्तथा । बिभर्त्यन्नेन या नारी सा पतिव्रतभागिनी

Transliteration

brāhmaṇān durbalānāthān dīnāndhakṛpaṇāṁs tathā | bibharty annena yā nārī sā pativratabhāginī ||

Translation

ଯେ ନାରୀ ଅନ୍ନଦ୍ୱାରା ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ, ଦୁର୍ବଳ, ଅନାଥ, ଦୀନ, ଅନ୍ଧ ଓ କୃପଣ-ଦରିଦ୍ରମାନଙ୍କୁ ପାଳନ-ପୋଷଣ କରେ, ସେଇ ପତିବ୍ରତା-ଧର୍ମର ପୁଣ୍ୟରେ ଭାଗୀ। ଉତ୍ତମ ଗୁଣରେ ଯୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ଯେ ସଦା ଶ୍ୱଶୁର-ଶ୍ୱଶ୍ରୂଙ୍କ ଚରଣସେବାରେ ଲଗ୍ନ ରହେ ଏବଂ ମାତା-ପିତାଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ମଧ୍ୟ ନିତ୍ୟ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଭକ୍ତିଭାବ ରଖେ, ସେ ତପସ୍ୟା-ରୂପ ଧନରେ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ବୋଲି ଗଣାଯାଏ; ଅନ୍ନଦାନରେ ଅସହାୟଙ୍କୁ ଧାରଣ କରୁଥିବା ସେ ପତିବ୍ରତ-ଧର୍ମର ଫଳ ପାଏ।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दुर्बल: weak (persons)
• दुर्बल: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अनाथान्: orphans / the helpless
• अनाथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दीनान्: poor, distressed
• दीनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अन्धान्: the blind
• अन्धान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कृपणान्: miserly / destitute persons
• कृपणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: and also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• बिभर्ति: supports, maintains
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अन्नेन: by food; with food
• अन्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• या: who (she who)
• या: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सा: she (that woman)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पतिव्रत: of wifely fidelity (pativrata-dharma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतिव्रत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• भागिनी: a sharer/partaker (possessing the fruit)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भागिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrīmaheśvara (Mahādeva/Śiva)
• brāhmaṇas
• the weak (durbala)
• the helpless (anātha)
• the poor (dīna)
• the blind (andha)
• the destitute (kṛpaṇa)
• food (anna)
• woman (nārī)
• pativratā-dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Pativratā-dharma is expressed through compassionate household action: feeding and sustaining Brahmanas and vulnerable people is counted as a direct share in the merit of wifely virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrīmaheśvara is instructing about the marks and fruits of an ideal wife’s dharma, highlighting that providing food to the needy is a concrete, meritorious practice aligned with pativratā conduct.