Shloka 4
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
श्रीमहेश्वर बोले--तपोवनमें निवास करनेवाली देवि! तुम भूत और भविष्यको जाननेवाली
śrīmaheśvara uvāca—tapovane nivāsa-karaṇe devī! tvaṁ bhūta-bhaviṣya-jñā, dharma-tattva-vid, svayam api dharmācāra-parā ca. sundara-keśa-bhrū-lalāme satī-sādhvī himavān-kumārī! tvaṁ kārya-kuśalā, indriya-saṁyama-mano-nigraha-sampannā ca. tava ahaṁtā-mamatāyāḥ sarvathā abhāvaḥ; ataḥ varārohe! ahaṁ tvāṁ ekaṁ praśnaṁ pṛcchāmi. mama pṛṣṭe tvaṁ mama abhipreta-viṣayaṁ vada.
sāvitrī brahmaṇaḥ sādhvī, kauśikasya śacī satī; lakṣmīr viṣṇoḥ priyā bhāryā, dhṛtir bhāryā yamasya tu; mārkaṇḍeyasya dhūmorṇā, ṛddhir vaiśravaṇasya ca; varuṇasya gaurī bhāryā, sūryasya suvarcalā; candrasya rohiṇī sādhvī, agner bhāryā svāhā; kaśyapasya aditir bhāryā—etāḥ sarvāḥ pativratā devyaḥ. devī! tvaṁ etāḥ sarvāḥ sadā saṅgatā, etābhyaś ca dharma-vārtāṁ pṛṣṭavatī asi.
圣者摩醯首罗说道：“噢，居于苦行林的女神！你知已往，亦知将来；你洞悉法（Dharma）之真实义理，并且自身奉法而行。噢，喜马梵之女，贞洁而贤善，鬟发与眉黛皆美者！你善于行事，具足制御诸根与调伏其心。你身上全无我慢与执取之影。故而，噢，体态婀娜者，我今问你一事；待我发问时，请告知我所欲知。 娑毗特丽（Sāvitrī）为梵天（Brahmā）之贤妻；舍支（Śacī）为因陀罗（Indra，亦称Kauśika）之贞妻；吉祥天女拉克什弥（Lakṣmī）为毗湿奴（Viṣṇu）之爱妻；持（Dhṛti）为阎摩（Yama）之妻；烟鬘（Dhūmorṇā）为摩罗迦ṇḍ耶（Mārkaṇḍeya）之妻；如意（Ṛddhi）为毗舍罗伐那（Vaiśravaṇa，即俱毗罗Kubera）之妻；高丽（Gaurī）为伐楼那（Varuṇa）之妻；苏伐尔恰罗（Suvarcalā）为日神苏利耶（Sūrya）之妻；罗希尼（Rohiṇī）为月神旃陀罗（Candra）之贞配；娑婆诃（Svāhā）为火神阿耆尼（Agni）之妻；阿底提（Aditi）为迦叶（Kaśyapa）之妻——这些女神皆以夫为天，守持夫妇之法。噢，女神，你常与她们相伴，并向她们询问法之道。”
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames dharma as lived discipline: true virtue is marked by self-restraint (control of senses and mind) and inner purity (absence of ego and possessiveness). It also presents a traditional ethical ideal—pativratā-dharma—by listing exemplary divine wives as models of steadfastness and righteous conduct.
Maheśvara addresses the Goddess in an ascetic forest setting, praises her spiritual qualifications, and prepares to question her. He then cites a roster of renowned virtuous wives (of gods and sages), noting that she has associated with them and learned dharma through their counsel—setting the stage for a discussion on righteous conduct.