Shloka 63

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तया भीष्म: कन्यया विप्रसंसदि । चिन्तामभ्यगमद्‌ वीरो युक्तां तस्यैव कर्मण:,जब उस कन्याने ब्राह्मणमण्डलीके बीच वीरवर भीष्मजीसे इस प्रकार कहा, तब वे उस वैवाहिक कर्मके विषयमें युक्तियुक्त विचार करने लगे

Transliteration

evam uktas tayā bhīṣmaḥ kanyayā vipra-saṃsadi | cintām abhyagamad vīro yuktāṃ tasyaiva karmaṇaḥ ||

Translation

So von der Jungfrau in der Versammlung der Brāhmaṇas angesprochen, versank der heldenhafte Bhīṣma in sorgfältiges Nachdenken und suchte einen wohlbegründeten, angemessenen Weg in eben dieser Angelegenheit der Eheschließung, bedacht darauf, was rechtens zu tun sei.

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

तयाby her

भीष्मःBhishma

कन्ययाby the maiden

विप्र-संसदिin the assembly of Brahmins

चिन्ताम्thought, reflection

अभ्यगमत्entered upon / took to

वीरःthe hero

युक्ताम्proper, well-reasoned

तस्यof that

एवindeed, just

कर्मणःof the act/rite (marriage-rite)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīṣma

kanyā (the maiden)

vipra-saṃsad (assembly of Brahmins)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic decision-making: when confronted publicly with a moral claim, a responsible person does not react impulsively but reflects to find a course that is reasonable (yuktā) and aligned with duty, vows, and social-ritual propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the maiden speaks to Bhīṣma in a Brahmin assembly, Bhīṣma begins to deliberate carefully about the marriage-related action at issue, weighing what should rightly be done in that situation.