Shloka 21

Devanagari script

विमुक्ता मानुषैर्देहेस्ततस्ता भर्तृभि: सह | समाजग्मुस्तदा साध्व्य: सर्वा एव विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! वहाँ वे सभी साध्वी स्त्रियाँ मनुष्य-शरीरसे छुटकारा पाकर अपने-अपने पतिके साथ जा मिलीं

Transliteration

vimuktā mānuṣair dehaiḥ tataḥ tā bhartṛbhiḥ saha | samājagmus tadā sādhvyaḥ sarvā eva viśāmpate prajānātha |

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Pagkatapos, O panginoon ng bayan, ang lahat ng mararangal na babaeng iyon—nakalaya mula sa katawang-tao—ay muling nakapiling ang kani-kaniyang asawa.

Word by Word

विमुक्ताःfreed, released

मानुषैःby/with human (i.e., mortal)

देहेभ्यःfrom (their) bodies

ततःthen, thereafter

ताःthose (women)

भर्तृभिःwith (their) husbands

सहtogether with

समाजग्मुःthey went/assembled, joined

तदाat that time

साध्व्यःvirtuous women

सर्वाःall

एवindeed, just

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

प्रजानाथO protector/lord of subjects

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

sādhvyaḥ (virtuous women)

bhartṛ (husbands)

mānuṣa-deha (human body)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical ideal of sādhvī/pativratā conduct—steadfast virtue and fidelity—framed within a worldview where moral and devotional integrity can culminate in release from mortal embodiment and reunion in a higher state.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that certain virtuous women, having cast off their human bodies, proceed to join their respective husbands—depicting a post-mortem transition and reunion consistent with the parva’s themes of withdrawal from worldly life and the destinies of those connected to the Kuru story.