Shloka 27

Devanagari script

न वीर पत्नीं विहरेत नारीं न चापि नारीमनृतावाह्दयीत । भायब्रितं ह्यात्मनि धारयीत तथास्योपस्थद्वारगुप्तिर्भवेत,वीर युधिष्ठिर! अपनी धर्मपत्नीके साथ ही विहार करे, परायी स्त्रीके साथ नहीं, अपनी सत्रीको भी जबतक वह ऋतुस्नाता न हुई हो, समागमके लिये अपने पास न बुलाये और मनमें एकपत्नीव्रत धारण करे। ऐसा करनेसे उसके उपस्थ-द्वारकी रक्षा हो सकती है

Transliteration

na vīra patnīṁ viharet nārīṁ na cāpi nārīm anṛtāv āhvayīta | bhāryā-vrataṁ hy ātmani dhārayīta tathāsyopastha-dvāra-guptir bhavet, vīra yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Kapila disse: “Ó herói, que o homem busque prazer apenas com sua esposa legítima, não com a mulher de outrem. Mesmo a própria esposa não deve ele chamar para a união quando ela não estiver em sua estação apropriada. Que sustente firmemente em si o voto de fidelidade a uma só esposa; assim será guardado o ‘portal de seus lombos’—ó heroico Yudhiṣṭhira.”

Word by Word

नnot

वीरःa man of valor (the man)

पत्नीम्wife

विहरेत्should sport/consort

नnot

नारीम्woman

नnot

चand

अपिalso/even

नारीम्woman

अनृतौwhen not in season (not in menses/ritual period)

आह्वयीतshould call/invite

भायाव्रतम्vow regarding (one) wife (monogamy-vow)

हिindeed/for

आत्मनिin oneself

धारयीतshould hold/maintain

तथाthus/in that way

अस्यof him

उपस्थद्वारगुप्तिःguarding of the sexual gate (continence/protection of chastity)

भवेत्would be/should be

वीरO hero

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhishthira

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kapila

Yudhiṣṭhira

patnī (lawful wife)

nārī (another woman)

upastha-dvāra (the ‘gate’ of the loins)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kapila teaches sexual ethics for a householder: avoid other women, approach even one’s own wife with restraint and propriety, and maintain an inner vow of fidelity; such self-control protects one’s chastity and moral integrity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the sage Kapila addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira, laying down a rule of conduct for household life—emphasizing monogamous fidelity and disciplined sexual behavior as part of righteous living.