Shloka 41
Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)
साध्वी स्त्री सदा अपने पतिको देवताके समान समझती है। पति और पत्नीका यह सहधर्म (साथ-साथ रहकर धर्माचरण करना) रूप धर्म परम मंगलमय है ।।
śrī-maheśvara uvāca | śuśrūṣāṃ paricāraṃ ca devatulyam prakurvatī | vaśyā bhāvena sumanāḥ suvratā sukhadarśanā | ananyacittā sumukhī bhartuḥ sā dharmacāriṇī | yā svāminaḥ kaṭhoravākye doṣadṛṣṭyā ca darśite 'pi prasannā smayamānā tiṣṭhati sā pativratā ||
圣者摩醯首罗说道：贤德之妻以夫为神。夫妇同居共处、同修法（dharma）之道，至为吉祥。凡以事神之礼殷勤服事并照料其夫者；以柔顺温和之性甘心归依于夫者；常令心意欢悦者；受持善誓，并为夫之欢喜而整肃仪容者；其心不向他人者；以明朗和婉之面迎对其夫者——此女称为行法者。又若其夫言辞严厉，或以挑剔之目相视，而她仍能安然含笑——唯此方可称为真正的“帕提弗拉塔”（pativratā，专一忠贞于夫者）。
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines an ideal of marital dharma: a wife’s steadfast, single-minded devotion expressed through respectful service, good conduct, and inner serenity—even under provocation—presented as highly auspicious ‘shared dharma’ within household life.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Śrī Maheśvara speaks in a prescriptive, ethical mode, describing qualities by which a woman is recognized as dharmacāriṇī and pativratā, emphasizing household harmony and disciplined conduct.