Shloka 61
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
परदाराभिहर्तार: परदाराभिमर्शिन: । परदारप्रयोक्तारस्ते वै निरयगामिन:
bhīṣma uvāca | paradārābhihartāraḥ paradārābhimarśinaḥ | paradāraprayoktāras te vai nirayagāminaḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: Wer die Frau eines anderen entführt, wer die Frau eines anderen schändet oder entweiht, und wer als Kuppler auftritt, um unerlaubten Zugang zur Frau eines anderen zu vermitteln—solche Menschen sind wahrlich der Hölle verfallen.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that violating another’s marriage—whether by abduction, sexual violation, or by facilitating such acts as an intermediary—is a grave adharma with severe karmic consequence (descent to niraya). It broadens moral responsibility to include enablers, not only direct perpetrators.
Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira in the Anushasana Parva on rules of conduct and moral discipline. In this section he emphasizes social and ethical restraints, specifically condemning offenses against another man’s wife and warning of their consequences.