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 ||
毗湿摩说：“丈夫离家在外之时，我不以妆饰为乐——不施眼药，不点额上牛黄（gorocanā）之印，不以油浴，不佩花鬘，不涂香膏，亦不作任何修饰。其不在时，我自持克制，为其福祉行诸吉祥之仪。”
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.