Shloka 12

Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 73: Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dispute, Confinement in the Well, and Yayāti’s Rescue

Devanagari script

पैशाच आसुरश्चैव न कर्तव्यौ कदाचन । अनेन विधिना कार्यो धर्मस्यैषा गति: स्मृता,पैशाच और आसुर विवाह कदापि करनेयोग्य नहीं हैं। इस विधिके अनुसार विवाह करना चाहिये। यह धर्मका मार्ग बताया गया है

Transliteration

paiśāca āsuraś caiva na kartavyau kadācana | anena vidhinā kāryo dharmasyaiṣā gatiḥ smṛtā ||

Translation

قال دوشيانتا: «إن زواجَ البايشاتشا (Paiśāca) والآسورا (Āsura) لا ينبغي أن يُمارَس قطّ. وإنما يُعقَد الزواج وفق هذا الإجراء القويم وحده؛ فهذه هي السبيلُ المستقيم للدارما كما تُروى.»

Word by Word

paiśācaḥthe Paiśāca (type of marriage)

āsuraḥthe Āsura (type of marriage)

caand

evaindeed/just

nanot

kartavyauto be done/should be performed

kadācanaever/at any time

anenaby this/with this

vidhināby the rule/method

kāryaḥshould be done/ought to be performed

dharmaof dharma/righteousness

eṣāthis

gatiḥpath/course

smṛtāis remembered/has been declared

Speaker

दुष्यन्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

द

दुष्यन्त (Duṣyanta)

प

पैशाच-विवाह (Paiśāca marriage)

आ

आसुर-विवाह (Āsura marriage)

ध

धर्म (Dharma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that certain socially and ethically condemned forms of marriage—Paiśāca and Āsura—must not be practiced, and that marriage should follow a proper, dharmic procedure recognized by tradition (smṛti).

What is happening in the narrative?

Duṣyanta is articulating a normative dharma-based judgment about acceptable and unacceptable marriage forms, emphasizing that one should adhere to the sanctioned method rather than resorting to blameworthy alternatives.