Shloka 20

Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)

Devanagari script

इमं धर्मपथं नारी पालयन्ती समाहिता । अरुन्धतीव नारीणां स्वर्गलोके महीयते

Transliteration

imaṃ dharmapathaṃ nārī pālayantī samāhitā | arundhatīvā nārīṇāṃ svargaloke mahīyate ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు అన్నాడు—ఎప్పుడూ జాగ్రత్తగా, స్వయంనియంత్రణతో ఈ ధర్మమార్గాన్ని కాపాడుతూ నడిచే స్త్రీ, స్త్రీలలో అరుంధతిలా గౌరవింపబడుతుంది; స్వర్గలోకంలో కూడా ఆమెకు విశిష్ట ప్రతిష్ఠ లభిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मपथम्: path of dharma
• धर्मपथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नारी: a woman
• नारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पालयन्ती: maintaining/observing
• पालयन्ती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पालय् (पाल्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समाहिता: composed, attentive
• समाहिता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित
• Form: क्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अरुन्धती: Arundhati
• अरुन्धती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुन्धती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• नारीणाम्: among/of women
• नारीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• स्वर्गलोके: in heaven
• स्वर्गलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्गलोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महीयते: is honored/is greatly esteemed
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह्
• Form: Lat (present), Ātmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/mediopassive sense

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Arundhati
• Svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfast, mindful adherence to one’s dharmic duties brings honor in society and spiritual merit; Arundhati is invoked as the cultural exemplar of such disciplined virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma; here he concludes a point about a woman who carefully follows the prescribed righteous path, stating that she gains renown like Arundhati and is honored in heaven.