SanskritIASTMeaning
एतत् हि परमं नार्याः कार्यं लोके सनातनम्etat hi paramaṃ nāryāḥ kāryaṃ loke sanātanam"for this is the highest, eternal duty of a woman in the world:
प्राणान् अपि परित्यज्य यत् भर्तृहितम् आचरेत्prāṇān api parityajya yat bhartṛhitam ācaretthat, giving up even her life, she should do good to her husband;
तत् च तत्र कृतं कर्म तव अपि इह सुखावहम्tat ca tatra kṛtaṃ karma tava api iha sukhāvahamand that deed, done there, will bring you happiness here,
भवति अमुत्र च अक्षय्यं लोके अस्मिन् च यशस्करम्bhavati amutra ca akṣayyaṃ loke asmin ca yaśaskaramand in the other world will become an imperishable good, and in this world a source of fame;
एष च एव गुरुः धर्मः यं प्रवक्षामि अहम् तवeṣa ca eva guruḥ dharmaḥ yaṃ pravakṣāmi aham tavaand this is the lofty dharma that I will declare to you:
अर्थः च तव धर्मः च भूयान् अत्र प्रदृश्यतेarthaḥ ca tava dharmaḥ ca bhūyān atra pradṛśyatein it, both your benefit and your dharma are seen to be greater;
एतद्etadoriginal form "etad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धिdhioriginal form "dhi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यद्yadoriginal form "yad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तच्tacoriginal form "tac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवापीहtavāpīhaoriginal form "tavāpīha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवत्य्bhavatyoriginal form "bhavaty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाक्षय्यंcākṣayyaṃoriginal form "cākṣayyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मिंश्'smiṃśoriginal form "'smiṃś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गुरुर्gururoriginal form "gurur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मोdharmooriginal form "dharmo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रवक्षाम्य्pravakṣāmyoriginal form "pravakṣāmy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अहंahaṃoriginal form "ahaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अर्थश्arthaśoriginal form "arthaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मश्dharmaśoriginal form "dharmaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the ideal of the devoted wife (pativratā), who lays down her life for her husband, shows itself. It is telling that the wife sees in self-sacrifice not loss but the highest duty and merit: to give one's life for one's husband is, for her, an "eternal dharma" and an imperishable good. This devotion is a reflection of the higher one: as the devotee offers himself to the Lord without reserve, so the faithful wife offers herself to her husband. Yet discernment is also needed: devotion is holy when it serves dharma and love, not when it is a forced ritual. Thus the text reveals the height of conjugal fidelity, in which love does not fear even death; and this love, when turned toward the Supreme Beloved, is the crown of all devotion.