Shloka 24
Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46
एताः कृत्याश्च कार्याश्च कृताश्च भरतर्षभ | न चैकस्मिन् रमन्त्येता: पुरुषे पाण्डुनन्दन
etāḥ kṛtyāś ca kāryāś ca kṛtāś ca bharatarṣabha | na caikasmin ramanty etāḥ puruṣe pāṇḍunandana ||
Vipula disse: “Ó touro entre os Bhāratas, ó filho de Pāṇḍu: tais mulheres são como feitiçarias mortais—uma vez ‘tomadas’ por um homem, tornam-se aptas a ser ‘tomadas’ também por outro. Não permanecem devotadas a um só homem; seu apego não se fixa num único lugar.”
विपुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a harsh metaphor to warn that unchaste or unreliable attachment leads to instability in relationships; ethically, it cautions against conduct that breaks exclusive commitment and undermines trust.
Vipula is advising a Pāṇḍava addressee within Anuśāsana-parvan’s moral instruction, characterizing certain women as fickle—once accepted by one man, they may turn to another—thus framing a warning about fidelity and self-restraint.