Shloka 17
Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)
यदि मेरे पति किसी आवश्यक कार्यवश कभी परदेश जाते तो मैं नियमसे रहकर उनके कल्याणके लिये नाना प्रकारके मांगलिक कार्य किया करती थी ।।
ajjanaṃ rocanāṃ caiva snānaṃ mālyānulepanam | prasādhanaṃ ca niṣkrānte nābhinandāmi bhartari ||
Bhishma nói: “Khi phu quân ta rời nhà đi xa, ta chẳng vui thích việc trang sức—không kẻ chì mắt, không điểm dấu gorocanā trên trán, không tắm xoa dầu, không đeo vòng hoa, không xức hương hay làm đẹp theo bất cứ cách nào. Trong lúc chàng vắng mặt, ta giữ mình tiết chế và thực hành các nghi lễ cát tường để cầu an cho chàng.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches disciplined restraint and loyalty: in a husband’s absence, a wife refrains from personal adornment and instead maintains vows and performs auspicious acts directed toward his welfare—an ethic of self-control and devotion within household dharma.
Bhishma, while instructing on conduct and duties, cites a model of wifely behavior: when the husband is away, she does not indulge in beautification (kohl, tilaka, oil-bath, garlands, perfumes, ornamentation), emphasizing modesty and concern for his well-being.