Shloka 20
Umā’s Inquiry and the Manifestation of the Third Eye (उमा–प्रश्नः तृतीयनेत्रोत्पत्तिः)
Devanagari script
इमं धर्मपथं नारी पालयन्ती समाहिता । अरुन्धतीव नारीणां स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Transliteration
imaṃ dharmapathaṃ nārī pālayantī samāhitā | arundhatīvā nārīṇāṃ svargaloke mahīyate ||
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“女子若恒常警醒、自持不乱，遵循并守护此一法道，便如阿伦达蒂一般在众女之中受人敬仰；在天界亦得殊胜名望。”
Word by Word
इमम्this
इमम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
धर्मपथम्path of dharma
धर्मपथम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधर्मपथ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
नारीa woman
नारी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनारी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
पालयन्तीmaintaining/observing
पालयन्ती:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootपालय् (पाल्)
Formशतृ (present active participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular
समाहिताcomposed, attentive
समाहिता:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसमाहित
Formक्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally), Feminine, Nominative, Singular
अरुन्धतीArundhati
अरुन्धती:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअरुन्धती
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike, as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
नारीणाम्among/of women
नारीणाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनारी
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
स्वर्गलोकेin heaven
स्वर्गलोके:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootस्वर्गलोक
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
महीयतेis honored/is greatly esteemed
महीयते:
TypeVerb
Rootमह्
FormLat (present), Ātmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/mediopassive sense
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaA
ArundhatiS
Svarga (heaven)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Steadfast, mindful adherence to one’s dharmic duties brings honor in society and spiritual merit; Arundhati is invoked as the cultural exemplar of such disciplined virtue.
In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma; here he concludes a point about a woman who carefully follows the prescribed righteous path, stating that she gains renown like Arundhati and is honored in heaven.