Shloka 23

Devanagari script

न हाकामेन संवासं मनुरेवं प्रशंसति । अयशस्यथमधर्म्य च यन्मृषा धर्मकोपनम्‌,अकाम पुरुषके साथ सकामा कन्याका सहवास हो, इसे मनु अच्छा नहीं मानते हैं। अतः सर्वसम्मतिसे निश्चित किये हुए विवाहको मिथ्या करनेका प्रयत्न अयश और अधर्मका कारण होता है। वह धर्मको नष्ट करनेवाला माना गया है

Transliteration

na hākāmena saṃvāsaṃ manur evaṃ praśaṃsati | ayaśasyam adharmyaṃ ca yan mṛṣā dharmakopanam ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Manu (Manu) billigt kein Zusammenleben, das nicht von beiden gewollt ist. Darum ist der Versuch, eine einvernehmlich beschlossene Ehe für nichtig zu erklären, Ursache von Schande und adharma; er gilt als Tat, die das dharma selbst untergräbt.“

Word by Word

नnot

हindeed/for emphasis

अकामेनby/with an unwilling (person)

संवासम्cohabitation/living together

मनुःManu

एवम्thus/in this manner

प्रशंसतिpraises/approves

अयशस्यof ill-repute/disgrace

अथand/then

अधर्म्यम्unrighteous/against dharma

चand

यत्that which

मृषाfalsely/into falsehood

धर्मकोपनम्the upsetting/ruining of dharma

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Manu

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Cohabitation and marital union should not be forced or one-sided; attempting to overturn a mutually settled marriage is condemned as disgraceful and adharmic, because it destabilizes the moral-legal order (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he cites Manu’s authority to frame a rule of ethical conduct regarding marriage: lack of consent and attempts to nullify a socially agreed marriage are treated as violations that damage dharma.