Vipula’s Guru-Obedience, Divine Flowers, and the Peril of Others’ Oaths (विपुलोपाख्यानम्—पुष्पप्राप्तिः शपथ-प्रसङ्गश्च)
स्त्रीणां बुद्ध्यर्थनिष्कर्षादर्थशास्त्राणि शत्रुहन्
strīṇāṃ buddhy-artha-niṣkarṣād arthaśāstrāṇi śatruhan
Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “O mamumuksa ng mga kaaway, dahil sa pangangailangang ilantad at linawin ang mga layunin at galaw ng pag-unawa ng kababaihan, kaya inilahad ang mga kasulatang arthaśāstra—mga aral ng pamamahala at praktikal na pagkapamahalaan.”
युधिछिर उवाच
The line links arthaśāstra (practical governance and policy) with the careful ascertainment of human motives and mental tendencies; it frames political knowledge as arising from analyzing how people—here specifically women—think and pursue aims, implying that effective rule requires insight into psychology and social conduct.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a ‘slayer of foes’ and makes a pointed observation about the origins or rationale of arthaśāstra, situating the discussion within broader teachings on conduct, governance, and social ethics.