Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19
Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)
“जब स्वामी सुखपूर्वक सो जाते उस समय आवश्यक कार्य आ जानेपर भी मैं उन्हें कभी नहीं जगाती थी। इससे मेरे मनको विशेष संतोष प्राप्त होता था ।।
na āyasayāmi bhartāraṁ kuṭumbārthe ’pi sarvadā | guptagūḍhā sadā cāsmi susammṛṣṭa-niveśanā ||
Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Kapag ang aking asawa’y natutulog nang payapa at maginhawa, kahit may kailangang gawain na biglang dumating, hindi ko siya kailanman ginambala. Ang pagpipigil na iyon ang nagdulot sa akin ng malalim na kasiyahang panloob. Maging para sa pagpapanatili ng sambahayan, hindi ko siya pinahirapan. Iningatan kong lihim ang mga bagay na dapat itago ng pamilya, at tinitiyak kong ang bahay at bakuran ay laging winalisan at maayos.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights household dharma expressed through considerate restraint: not disturbing a spouse unnecessarily, maintaining confidentiality of family matters, and keeping the home clean and orderly—small daily disciplines presented as ethical virtues.
In Bhishma’s discourse on conduct (Anuśāsana Parva), a model of domestic behavior is described in first person: the speaker recounts how she served her husband by avoiding needless disturbance, safeguarding private affairs, and maintaining the household—illustrating idealized norms of family life.