Mahabharata · 1.224.30–31
॥
Devanāgarī
अपत्यहेतोः संप्राप्तं तथा त्वम् अपि माम् इह ॥
इष्टम् एवंगते हित्वा सा तथैव च वर्तसे ॥
नैव भार्येति विश्वासः कार्यः पुंसा कथं चन ॥
न हि कार्यम् अनुध्याति भार्या पुत्रवती सती ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
apatyahetoḥ saṃprāptaṃ tathā tvam api mām iha ||
iṣṭam evaṃgate hitvā sā tathaiva ca vartase ||
naiva bhāryeti viśvāsaḥ kāryaḥ puṃsā kathaṃ cana ||
na hi kāryam anudhyāti bhāryā putravatī satī ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अपत्य-हेतोः संप्राप्तं तथा त्वम् अपि माम् इहapatya-hetoḥ saṃprāptaṃ tathā tvam api mām iha"[Here] I too, who came here for the sake of offspring,
इष्टम् एवं-गते हित्वा सा तथा एव च वर्तसेiṣṭam evaṃ-gate hitvā sā tathā eva ca vartaseyou, abandoning the one you love in such distress, act just as she does;
न एव भार्या इति विश्वासः कार्यः पुंसा कथं चनna eva bhāryā iti viśvāsaḥ kāryaḥ puṃsā kathaṃ cananever should a man place his trust in the thought: 'this is my wife';
न हि कार्यम् अनुध्याति भार्या पुत्रवती सतीna hi kāryam anudhyāti bhāryā putravatī satīfor a wife, once she has become the mother of sons, no longer cares for her duty [to her husband]";
अपत्यहेतोःapatyahetoḥoriginal form "apatyahetoḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवंगतेevaṃgateoriginal form "evaṃgate", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथैवtathaivaoriginal form "tathaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैवnaivaoriginal form "naiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भार्येतिbhāryetioriginal form "bhāryeti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Here I too, who came for the sake of offspring, and you, abandoning the one you love in such distress, act just as she does; never should a man place his trust in the thought, 'this is my wife'; for a wife, once she has become the mother of sons, no longer cares for her duty to her husband."
Version
2fab2a7a1f6b · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:20:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the husband's bitterness rises to a sweeping generalization. Once again it must be remembered: this is the speech of one wounded in a quarrel, not a teaching; Mandapala himself is guilty of having left, as Jarita rightly pointed out to him. Thus it becomes clear that the mutual reproaches of husband and wife are born of the pain of separation, not of truth; and that harmony is restored not by reproach but by forgiveness. So the scripture reveals the peak of the quarrel; and reconciliation follows at once.