Shloka 206
Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)
भार्यासंरक्षणं कार्य कथं स्यादित्यचिन्तयत् । तात! एक समय ऋषिने यज्ञ करनेका विचार किया। उस समय वे यह सोचने लगे कि 'यदि मैं यज्ञमें लग जाऊँ तो मेरी स्त्रीकी रक्षा कैसे होगी'
bhāryā-saṁrakṣaṇaṁ kāryaṁ kathaṁ syād ity acintayat | tāta! eka-samaya ṛṣiṇe yajña-karaṇe kā vicāraḥ kṛtaḥ | tasmin samaye te evaṁ acintayan—yadi ahaṁ yajñe lagyeyaṁ tarhi mama striyāḥ rakṣā kathaṁ bhaviṣyati |
Bhishma disse: “Ele refletiu: ‘Proteger a esposa é um dever—como garanti-lo?’ Certa vez, um sábio decidiu realizar um yajña. Então começou a preocupar-se: ‘Se eu me dedicar por inteiro ao rito, como ficará minha esposa em segurança?’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even meritorious religious acts like sacrifice must be balanced with immediate dharma: safeguarding one’s dependents, especially one’s wife, is presented as a binding responsibility that cannot be neglected.
Bhishma recounts an episode where a sage plans to perform a yajna but pauses to reflect on a practical moral concern—how his wife will be protected while he is absorbed in ritual duties.