Shloka 28
Droṇotpattiḥ and Dhanurveda-Prāpti
Origin of Droṇa and Acquisition of Martial Science
विप्रयुक्ता तु या पत्या मुहूर्तमपि जीवति । दुःखं जीवति सा पापा नरकस्थेव पार्थिव,महाराज! जो स्त्री पतिसे बिछुड़ जानेपर दो घड़ी भी जीवन धारण करती है, वह पापिनी नरकमें पड़ी हुई-सी दुःखमय जीवन बिताती है
viprayuktā tu yā patyā muhūrtam api jīvati | duḥkhaṃ jīvati sā pāpā narakasthā iva pārthiva mahārāja ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：“噫，国王！女子若与夫君离别而仍能存活哪怕片刻，她便是在苦中而生——如同身处地狱之人——背负着罪与哀痛的重担。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses strong moral and emotional language to portray separation from one’s husband as an existence filled with suffering, likened to hell. It reflects an epic-era ethical ideal that frames marital union and fidelity as central to a woman’s dharma, and it intensifies the pathos of widowhood/separation by casting it as both painful and morally fraught.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating to the king (Janamejaya), delivers a generalizing statement about the misery of a woman living after separation from her husband. The line functions as a lament-like ethical reflection within the ongoing story, heightening the emotional stakes around marital loss and separation.