Mahabharata 1.146.10–13

Bakavadha-parva (brāhmaṇī-vākya) (The Speech of the Brāhmaṇa's Wife)1.146.10–13

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Mahabharata · 1.146.10–13

॥

Devanāgarī

कथं हि विधवानाथा बालपुत्रा विना त्वया ॥
मिथुनं जीवयिष्यामि स्थिता साधुगते पथि ॥
अहंकृतावलिप्तैश् च प्रार्थ्यमानाम् इमां सुताम् ॥
अयुक्तैस् तव संबन्धे कथं शक्ष्यामि रक्षितुम् ॥
उत्सृष्टम् आमिषं भूमौ प्रार्थयन्ति यथा खगाः ॥
प्रार्थयन्ति जनाः सर्वे वीरहीनां तथा स्त्रियम् ॥
साहं विचाल्यमाना वै प्रार्थ्यमाना दुरात्मभिः ॥
स्थातुं पथि न शक्ष्यामि सज्जनेष्टे द्विजोत्तम ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

kathaṃ hi vidhavānāthā bālaputrā vinā tvayā ||
mithunaṃ jīvayiṣyāmi sthitā sādhugate pathi ||
ahaṃkṛtāvaliptaiś ca prārthyamānām imāṃ sutām ||
ayuktais tava saṃbandhe kathaṃ śakṣyāmi rakṣitum ||
utsṛṣṭam āmiṣaṃ bhūmau prārthayanti yathā khagāḥ ||
prārthayanti janāḥ sarve vīrahīnāṃ tathā striyam ||
sāhaṃ vicālyamānā vai prārthyamānā durātmabhiḥ ||
sthātuṃ pathi na śakṣyāmi sajjaneṣṭe dvijottama ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

कथं हि विधवा अनाथा बालपुत्रा विना त्वयाkathaṃ hi vidhavā anāthā bālaputrā vinā tvayā"for how, a widow, defenseless, with young children, without you,

मिथुनं जीवयिष्यामि स्थिता साधुगते पथिmithunaṃ jīvayiṣyāmi sthitā sādhugate pathiwill I keep the pair of children alive, standing on the path of the righteous?

अहंकृतावलिप्तैः च प्रार्थ्यमानाम् इमां सुताम्ahaṃkṛtāvaliptaiḥ ca prārthyamānām imāṃ sutāmand this daughter, sought after by the arrogant and conceited,

अयुक्तैः तव संबन्धे कथं शक्ष्यामि रक्षितुम्ayuktaiḥ tava saṃbandhe kathaṃ śakṣyāmi rakṣitumby men unworthy of kinship with you, how will I be able to protect?

उत्सृष्टम् आमिषं भूमौ प्रार्थयन्ति यथा खगाःutsṛṣṭam āmiṣaṃ bhūmau prārthayanti yathā khagāḥas birds swoop upon meat cast down on the ground,

प्रार्थयन्ति जनाः सर्वे वीरहीनां तथा स्त्रियम्prārthayanti janāḥ sarve vīrahīnāṃ tathā striyamso all people seek out a woman deprived of a [protecting] hero;

सा अहं विचाल्यमाना वै प्रार्थ्यमाना दुरात्मभिःsā ahaṃ vicālyamānā vai prārthyamānā durātmabhiḥand I, being shaken, sought after by the wicked,

स्थातुं पथि न शक्ष्यामि सज्जनेष्टे द्विजोत्तमsthātuṃ pathi na śakṣyāmi sajjaneṣṭe dvijottamawill not be able to stand on the path dear to the good, O best of the twice-born;

विधवानाथाvidhavānāthāoriginal form "vidhavānāthā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

अहंकृतावलिप्तैश्ahaṃkṛtāvaliptaiśoriginal form "ahaṃkṛtāvaliptaiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

अयुक्तैस्ayuktaisoriginal form "ayuktais", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

साहंsāhaṃoriginal form "sāhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

Translation

"For how, a widow, defenseless, with young children, without you, shall I keep the pair of children alive, standing on the path of the righteous? And this daughter, sought by the arrogant, the conceited, the unworthy who would seek kinship with you — how shall I be able to protect her? As birds swoop upon meat cast down on the ground, so all people seek out a woman deprived of a protector; and I, harassed, sought after by the wicked, shall not be able to stand on the path dear to the good, O best of the twice-born."

Commentary

Here the defenselessness of a woman deprived of support is laid bare. Telling is the bitter comparison: a lone wife is like meat cast down, on which birds of prey descend; a world consumed by greed does not spare the defenseless. Here it is seen how greatly the weak need protection in a world ruled by brute force: dharma entrusts the protection of the wife to the husband precisely because without him she is helpless before evil. Telling too is that the wife fears not only for her body but for her purity: "I will not be able to stand on the path of the good" — she fears the very fall into which she would be forced. Thus the text reveals the hardships of defenselessness and justifies her sacrifice as care for her own honor and that of her children.

Version

0db74bfce055 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC

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