Shloka 25

Strī-satkāra (On honoring women) — Mahābhārata 13.46

Devanagari script

नासां स्नेहो नरै: कार्यस्तथैवेष्ष्या जनेश्वर । खेदमास्थाय भुज्जीत धर्ममास्थाय चैव ह

Transliteration

Vipula uvāca: nāsāṃ sneho naraiḥ kāryas tathaiveṣyā janeśvara | khedam āsthāya bhuñjīta dharmam āsthāya caiva ha | anṛtāv iha parvādidoṣavarja narādhipa ||

Translation

Vipula nói: “Tâu chúa tể loài người, đàn ông chớ nên quá đắm luyến phụ nữ, cũng chớ sinh lòng ghen ghét đối với họ. Giữ tâm ly tham, nương tựa nơi dharma, người ấy chỉ nên hưởng lạc phu thê đúng mùa đúng lúc, sau khi đã tẩy tịnh theo nghi thức, và tránh các lỗi như giao hợp vào những ngày bị cấm cùng những điều phạm giới khác.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आसाम्: of these women / of them (f.)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• स्नेहः: attachment, affection
• स्नेहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• कार्यः: to be done / should be made
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ईर्ष्या: jealousy
• ईर्ष्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईर्ष्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• जनेश्वर: O lord of people
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन-ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• खेदम्: dispassion / weariness (as an attitude)
• खेदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having resorted to / adopting
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• भुञ्जीत: should enjoy / should partake
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having resorted to / following
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• अनृत: falsehood
• अनृत: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अविह: here (reading uncertain)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविह (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप)

• पर्व: festival day / special observance day
• पर्व: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदि: etc., and the like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि

• दोष: fault, defect
• दोष: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वर्ज: avoid / give up (reading uncertain)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृज्/वर्ज् (धातु) → वर्ज (आज्ञार्थ-रूप/पाठभेद)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्) (reading uncertain), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नराधिप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-अधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

विपुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vipula
• janeśvara (king)
• narādhipa (king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined household life: do not cling to women with excessive attachment, do not fall into jealousy, and regulate sexual enjoyment according to dharma—restricted to the proper season and avoiding prohibited occasions and faults.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vipula is instructing a ruler on ethical self-governance. The counsel frames personal desire as something to be governed by dharma and social-religious norms, emphasizing restraint and avoidance of transgressive conduct.