वर्ताम्य् अहं तु यां वृत्तिं पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु ॥
तां सर्वां शृणु मे सत्यां सत्यभामे यशस्विनि ॥
अहंकारं विहायाहं कामक्रोधौ च सर्वदा ॥
सदारान् पाण्डवान् नित्यं प्रयतोपचराम्य् अहम् ॥
प्रणयं प्रतिसंगृह्य निधायात्मानम् आत्मनि ॥
शुश्रूषुर् निरभीमाना पतीनां चित्तरक्षिणी ॥
दुर्व्याहृताच् छङ्कमाना दुःस्थिताद् दुरवेक्षितात् ॥
दुरासिताद् दुर्व्रजिताद् इङ्गिताध्यासिताद् अपि ॥
सूर्यवैश्वानरनिभान् सोमकल्पान् महारथान् ॥
सेवे चक्षुर्हणः पार्थान् उग्रतेजःप्रतापिनः ॥
देवो मनुष्यो गन्धर्वो युवा चापि स्वलंकृतः ॥
द्रव्यवान् अभिरूपो वा न मे ऽन्यः पुरुषो मतः ॥
नाभुक्तवति नास्नाते नासंविष्टे च भर्तरि ॥
न संविशामि नाश्नामि सदा कर्मकरेष्व् अपि ॥
क्षेत्राद् वनाद् वा ग्रामाद् वा भर्तारं गृहम् आगतम् ॥
प्रत्युत्थायाभिनन्दामि आसनेनोदकेन च ॥
प्रमृष्टभाण्डा मृष्टान्ना काले भोजनदायिनी ॥
संयता गुप्तधान्या च सुसंमृष्टनिवेशना ॥
अतिरस्कृतसंभाषा दुःस्त्रियो नानुसेवती ॥
अनुकूलवती नित्यं भवाम्य् अनलसा सदा ॥
अनर्मे चापि हसनं द्वारि स्थानम् अभीक्ष्णशः ॥
अवस्करे चिरस्थानं निष्कुटेषु च वर्जये ॥
अतिहासातिरोषौ च क्रोधस्थानं च वर्जये ॥
निरताहं सदा सत्ये भर्तॄणाम् उपसेवने ॥
सर्वथा भर्तृरहितं न ममेष्टं कथं चन ॥
यदा प्रवसते भर्ता कुटुम्बार्थेन केन चित् ॥
सुमनोवर्णकापेता भवामि व्रतचारिणी ॥
यच् च भर्ता न पिबति यच् च भर्ता न खादति ॥
यच् च नाश्नाति मे भर्ता सर्वं तद् वर्जयाम्य् अहम् ॥
यथोपदेशं नियता वर्तमाना वराङ्गने ॥
स्वलंकृता सुप्रयता भर्तुः प्रियहिते रता ॥
ये च धर्माः कुटुम्बेषु श्वश्र्वा मे कथिताः पुरा ॥
भिक्षाबलिश्राद्धम् इति स्थालीपाकाश् च पर्वसु ॥
मान्यानां मानसत्कारा ये चान्ये विदिता मया ॥
तान् सर्वान् अनुवर्तामि दिवारात्रम् अतन्द्रिता ॥
विनयान् नियमांश् चापि सदा सर्वात्मना श्रिता ॥
मृदून् सतः सत्यशीलान् सत्यधर्मानुपालिनः ॥
आशीविषान् इव क्रुद्धान् पतीन् परिचराम्य् अहम् ॥
पत्याश्रयो हि मे धर्मो मतः स्त्रीणां सनातनः ॥
स देवः सा गतिर् नान्या तस्य का विप्रियं चरेत् ॥
vartāmy ahaṃ tu yāṃ vṛttiṃ pāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu ||
tāṃ sarvāṃ śṛṇu me satyāṃ satyabhāme yaśasvini ||
ahaṃkāraṃ vihāyāhaṃ kāmakrodhau ca sarvadā ||
sadārān pāṇḍavān nityaṃ prayatopacarāmy aham ||
praṇayaṃ pratisaṃgṛhya nidhāyātmānam ātmani ||
śuśrūṣur nirabhīmānā patīnāṃ cittarakṣiṇī ||
durvyāhṛtāc chaṅkamānā duḥsthitād duravekṣitāt ||
durāsitād durvrajitād iṅgitādhyāsitād api ||
sūryavaiśvānaranibhān somakalpān mahārathān ||
seve cakṣurhaṇaḥ pārthān ugratejaḥpratāpinaḥ ||
devo manuṣyo gandharvo yuvā cāpi svalaṃkṛtaḥ ||
dravyavān abhirūpo vā na me 'nyaḥ puruṣo mataḥ ||
nābhuktavati nāsnāte nāsaṃviṣṭe ca bhartari ||
na saṃviśāmi nāśnāmi sadā karmakareṣv api ||
kṣetrād vanād vā grāmād vā bhartāraṃ gṛham āgatam ||
pratyutthāyābhinandāmi āsanenodakena ca ||
pramṛṣṭabhāṇḍā mṛṣṭānnā kāle bhojanadāyinī ||
saṃyatā guptadhānyā ca susaṃmṛṣṭaniveśanā ||
atiraskṛtasaṃbhāṣā duḥstriyo nānusevatī ||
anukūlavatī nityaṃ bhavāmy analasā sadā ||
anarme cāpi hasanaṃ dvāri sthānam abhīkṣṇaśaḥ ||
avaskare cirasthānaṃ niṣkuṭeṣu ca varjaye ||
atihāsātiroṣau ca krodhasthānaṃ ca varjaye ||
niratāhaṃ sadā satye bhartṝṇām upasevane ||
sarvathā bhartṛrahitaṃ na mameṣṭaṃ kathaṃ cana ||
yadā pravasate bhartā kuṭumbārthena kena cit ||
sumanovarṇakāpetā bhavāmi vratacāriṇī ||
yac ca bhartā na pibati yac ca bhartā na khādati ||
yac ca nāśnāti me bhartā sarvaṃ tad varjayāmy aham ||
yathopadeśaṃ niyatā vartamānā varāṅgane ||
svalaṃkṛtā suprayatā bhartuḥ priyahite ratā ||
ye ca dharmāḥ kuṭumbeṣu śvaśrvā me kathitāḥ purā ||
bhikṣābaliśrāddham iti sthālīpākāś ca parvasu ||
mānyānāṃ mānasatkārā ye cānye viditā mayā ||
tān sarvān anuvartāmi divārātram atandritā ||
vinayān niyamāṃś cāpi sadā sarvātmanā śritā ||
mṛdūn sataḥ satyaśīlān satyadharmānupālinaḥ ||
āśīviṣān iva kruddhān patīn paricarāmy aham ||
patyāśrayo hi me dharmo mataḥ strīṇāṃ sanātanaḥ ||
sa devaḥ sā gatir nānyā tasya kā vipriyaṃ caret ||
'Now, glorious Satyabhama, hear the whole life that I live among the great Pandavas. Setting aside pride, desire, and anger, I always serve the Pandavas purely, together with their wives. Restraining attachment and holding myself within myself, I strive to serve without vanity and to guard the hearts of my husbands. I am wary of harsh speech, of poor posture, of an unseemly glance, of unseemly sitting, of unseemly walking, and even of gesture. I serve the sons of Pritha, radiant as the sun and as Vaishvanara, like Soma, great charioteers, formidable in splendor and power; for me there is no other man -- be he a god, a human, a gandharva, a youth, adorned, wealthy, or handsome. Until my husband has eaten, bathed, and lain down, I do not lie down or eat, even if the servants have already finished their work. When my husband returns from the field, from the forest, or from the village, I rise, greet him, and give him a seat and water. My vessels are cleaned, the food is prepared, I give food at the proper time, I am restrained, I keep the grain stores, and I keep the house clean. I do not speak with contempt, I do not consort with wicked women, I am always agreeable and never idle. I avoid laughter without cause, frequent standing at the door, lingering long near refuse or in the inner courtyards; I avoid excessive laughter, excessive anger, and occasions for anger. I am always devoted to truth and to the service of my husbands; any condition without a husband is not dear to me. When my husband travels away on family business, I give up flowers and cosmetics and live as one keeping a vow. Whatever my husband does not drink, does not eat, and does not taste, that I avoid. I live according to instruction, adorned, pure, devoted to what is pleasing and beneficial to my husband. All the family duties that my mother-in-law once taught me -- alms-giving, offerings, shraddha rites, sthalipaka offerings on festival days, the honoring of the worthy, and all else that I have learned -- I observe day and night without laziness. Humility and discipline I always embrace with my whole being. My husbands, who are gentle, truthful, followers of truth and dharma, yet like venomous serpents when angry, I honor and serve. For women the eternal dharma, as I hold it, is reliance upon the husband; he is her deity, her path, and how could she ever do him anything unpleasant?'
c7beb17c3ffe · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:23:49 PM UTC
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This passage reflects an ancient ideal of family life, but its center is not a technique of submission but self-discipline, purity, attentiveness, and responsibility for the household.