Adhyaya 71 — The King’s Remorse and the Sage’s Counsel on the Necessity of a Wife
राजोवाच भगवन् सर्वलोकस्य मयि प्रीतिरनुत्तमा ।
किंनु तत्कारणं येन स्वपत्नी नातिवत्सला ॥
rājovāca bhagavan sarvalokasya mayi prītir anuttamā / kinnu tat-kāraṇaṃ yena sva-patnī nāti-vatsalā
Disse o rei: Venerável senhor, todos os homens têm por mim um afeto sem igual; por que, então, minha própria esposa não me ama tanto?
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Social esteem does not guarantee harmony at home; purāṇic ethics treats intimate relationships as governed by specific karmic bonds, requiring separate cultivation and accountability.
Carita—didactic dialogue addressing human dharma (gṛhastha concerns) through narrative inquiry.
The ‘world’s love’ versus ‘wife’s coldness’ symbolizes the split between outer persona and inner relational karma; the inner bond reveals unresolved past impressions.