Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 14

छत्रोपानहदानफलप्रशंसा — Praise of the Merit of Donating Umbrella and Footwear

Devanagari script

सा वै खिन्ना सुचार्वगी पदभ्यां दुःखं नियच्छती । उपाजगाम भर्तरें भयाद्‌ भर्तु: प्रवेषती

Transliteration

sā vai khinnā sucārv-aṅgī padabhyāṁ duḥkhaṁ niyacchatī | upājagāma bhartāraṁ bhayād bhartuḥ pravepatī ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“勒努迦，那位声名显赫、肢体秀美的女子，携着那些箭归来。她已疲惫至极；强忍着双足灼痛，战战兢兢地走近丈夫，惧他如惧雷霆。”

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• खिन्ना: distressed, dejected
• खिन्ना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खिन्न
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सुचार्वङ्गी: she who has very beautiful limbs
• सुचार्वङ्गी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-चारु-अङ्गी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पदभ्याम्: with (her) two feet
• पदभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Dual

• दुःखम्: pain, suffering
• दुःखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नियच्छती: restrains, holds back, endures
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-यम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उपाजगाम: approached, came near
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भर्तरम्: husband
• भर्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भयात्: from fear, out of fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रवेषती: entering, going in (towards)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Renuka
• Renuka's husband (Jamadagni)
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical cost of fear-driven authority: when power in a household inspires terror, even ordinary duties become suffering. It implicitly calls for dharmic conduct grounded in compassion rather than intimidation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Renuka comes back carrying the arrows. She is physically pained—her feet burn—and emotionally distressed, approaching her husband while trembling out of fear of him.