Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तत्र देवस्तया सार्ध रेमे राजन्‌ जलेश्वर: । अथाख्यातमुतथ्याय तत: पत्न्यवमर्दनम्‌

Transliteration

tatra devas tayā sārdha reme rājan jaleśvaraḥ | athākhyātam utathyāya tataḥ patny-avamardanam ||

Translation

大王啊，在那里，水界之主伐楼那与她纵情取乐。其后，那罗陀将此事告知优陀提耶：伐楼那夺走了他的妻子，并加以玷辱。

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तया: with her
• तया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सार्धम्: together (with)
• सार्धम्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम्

• रेमे: enjoyed / sported
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• जल-ईश्वरः: lord of the waters
• जल-ईश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• आख्यातम्: was reported / was told
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उतथ्याय: to Utathya
• उतथ्याय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उतथ्य
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• ततः: thereupon / then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• पत्न्यवमर्दनम्: violation/abuse of (his) wife
• पत्न्यवमर्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी-अवमर्दन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Nārada
• Utathya
• the wife of Utathya (name not given in this verse)
• jaleśvara (epithet of Varuṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic gravity of violating another’s spouse: even a powerful being’s act is framed as a serious moral transgression (patnī-avamardana), implying that status does not exempt one from ethical accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Varuṇa, described as the lord of the waters, is said to be enjoying with Utathya’s wife; afterward Nārada informs Utathya of the outrage—reporting that Varuṇa seized and dishonoured her—thereby setting up the ensuing response to this breach of dharma.