Shloka 9

Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)

Devanagari script

ईर्षवो मानकामाश्च चण्डाश्न सुहृदो5बुधा: । स्त्रियस्तु मानमर्हन्ति ता मानयत मानवा:

Transliteration

īrṣyavo mānakāmāś ca caṇḍāś ca suhṛdo 'budhāḥ | striyas tu mānam arhanti tā mānayata mānavāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“妇女或有嫉妒之心，或求名誉，或易怒；亦能如友般亲爱，且常怀纯朴之心。然而妇女仍堪受敬重。故诸人当敬礼而尊之。”

Word by Word

• ईर्षवः: envious (ones)
• ईर्षवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईर्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मानकामाः: desiring honor/respect
• मानकामाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चण्डाः: fierce, violent
• चण्डाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सुहृदः: friends, well-wishers
• सुहृदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अबुधाः: unwise, simple
• अबुधाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मानम्: honor, respect
• मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्हन्ति: deserve
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ताः: them (those women)
• ताः: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• मानयत: honor (you all)! show respect
• Type: Verb
• Root: मानय् (धातु; मान् + णिच्)
• Form: Imperative, Second, Plural, Parasmaipada

• मानवाः: O men, O humans
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• women (striyaḥ)
• men/humans (mānavāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even if women (like all people) may display faults such as jealousy or quick temper, they are still ‘mānam arhanti’—worthy of honor. The verse frames respect for women as a moral duty that upholds dharma and social harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and proper conduct. Here he gives a direct injunction to men to honor women, describing certain perceived traits and then concluding with the ethical imperative of respect.