साहं सर्वाधमा लोके स्त्रीणां भरतसत्तम
sāhaṃ sarvādhāmā loke strīṇāṃ bharatasattama
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó melhor dos Bhāratas, neste mundo eu sou a mais decaída entre as mulheres.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The line expresses moral self-assessment and remorse: a speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) judges herself as having fallen from proper conduct, highlighting the Mahābhārata’s concern with accountability and the ethical weight of one’s actions within social and dharmic expectations.
Within the Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment where a woman voices intense self-reproach, addressing a Bharata noble as “bharatasattama,” framing her confession or lament in a courtly-ethical setting.