Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 473

Devaśarmā–Vipula Dialogue on Ahorātra–Ṛtu as Moral Witnesses (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय ४३)

Devanagari script

शप्स्यत्यसंशयं कोपाद्‌ दिव्यज्ञानो महातपा: । “मैं गुरुपत्नीकी रक्षा करनेके लिये अपने सम्पूर्ण अंगोंसे इसके सम्पूर्ण अंगोंमें समा जाऊँगा। यदि आज मेरे गुरुजी अपनी इस पत्नीको किसी पर-पुरुषद्वारा दूषित हुई देख लेंगे तो कुपित होकर मुझे निस्संदेह शाप दे देंगे; क्योंकि वे महा तपस्वी गुरु दिव्यज्ञानसे सम्पन्न हैं

Transliteration

śapsyaty asaṁśayaṁ kopād divyajñāno mahātapāḥ |

Translation

Wika ni Bhishma: “Walang alinlangan, sa galit ang dakilang asetang iyon—na may taglay na banal na kaalaman—ay susumpain ako. Sapagkat napagpasyahan kong ingatan ang asawa ng aking guro sa pamamagitan ng paglalapat ng buo kong pagkatao sa buo niyang katawan, upang walang ibang lalaki ang makalapastangan sa kanya. Kung ngayong araw makita ng aking iginagalang na guro ang kanyang asawa na nadungisan ng ibang lalaki, tiyak na sa akin babagsak ang kanyang poot.”

Word by Word

• {'śapsyati': 'will curse', 'asaṁśayam': 'without doubt, certainly', 'kopāt': 'from anger, out of wrath', 'divyajñānaḥ': 'possessing divine/supernatural knowledge', 'mahātapāḥ': 'great ascetic

• one of intense austerities', 'guru': 'teacher, preceptor', 'gurupatnī': 'the teacher’s wife', 'rakṣā': 'protection, safeguarding', 'parapuruṣa': 'another man

• a man other than one’s husband', 'dūṣita': 'defiled, violated, dishonoured', 'śāpa': 'curse'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• guru (preceptor)
• gurupatnī (teacher’s wife)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as vigilant protection of another’s honour—especially the guru’s household—combined with accountability: negligence in such a duty invites moral and spiritual consequences, symbolized by the feared curse of a divinely perceptive ascetic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes his resolve to safeguard his teacher’s wife from violation by any other man and explains his fear that, if she were seen dishonoured, his powerful, divinely knowing guru would become enraged and curse him for failing in his duty of protection.