Shloka 24

चित्रसेन-समागमः / The Engagement with Citrasena and the Gandharvas

Devanagari script

नाभुक्तवति नास्नाते नासंविष्टे च भर्तरि । न संविशामि नाश्नामि सदा कर्मकरेष्वपि,“पतियों और उनके सेवकोंको भोजन कराये बिना मैं कभी भोजन नहीं करती, उन्हें नहलाये बिना कभी नहाती नहीं हूँ तथा पतिदेव जबतक शयन न करें, तबतक मैं सोती भी नहीं हूँ

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nābhuktavati nāsnāte nāsaṃviṣṭe ca bhartari | na saṃviśāmi nāśnāmi sadā karmakareṣv api ||

Translation

வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்—என் கணவர் உண்ணாதவரை நான் உண்ணேன்; அவர் நீராடாதவரை நான் நீராடேன்; அவர் ஓய்வுக்குப் படுக்காதவரை நான் படுக்கேன். இதுவே என் நிலையான நியமம்—வீட்டுப் பணியாளர்களைப் பற்றியும் அதேபோல்.

Word by Word

नnot

अभुक्तवतिwhen (he) has not eaten

नnot

अस्नातेwhen (he) has not bathed

नnot

असंविष्टेwhen (he) has not lain down / gone to bed

चand

भर्तरिin/with regard to the husband (when the husband...)

नnot

संविशामिI lie down / go to bed

नnot

अश्नामिI eat

सदाalways

कर्मकरेषुamong/with the servants (workers)

अपिeven/also

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

bhartā (husband)

karmakarāḥ (servants/workers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethic of disciplined household conduct: prioritizing the well-being and proper care of one’s dependents—especially the husband in the traditional frame—before one’s own comfort (food, bathing, rest), extending the same conscientiousness even toward servants and workers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a woman’s statement of personal vows is reported: she describes her daily rule that she will not eat, bathe, or sleep until her husband (and, by implication, those under her care) have been attended to, illustrating her commitment to household duty and service.