Shloka 7

Devanagari script

न च विप्रेष्वधीकारो विद्यते वरणं प्रति । स्वयंवर: क्षत्रियाणामितीयं प्रथिता श्रुति:,'स्वयंवरमें कन्याद्वारा वरण प्राप्त करनेका अधिकार ही ब्राह्मणोंको नहीं है। (लोगोंमें) यह बात प्रसिद्ध है कि स्वयंवर क्षत्रियोंका ही होता है

Transliteration

na ca vipreṣv adhikāro vidyate varaṇaṃ prati | svayaṃvaraḥ kṣatriyāṇām itīyaṃ prathitā śrutiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “And among Brahmins there is no entitlement with respect to choosing in a svayaṃvara. It is a well-known traditional dictum that a svayaṃvara belongs to the Kṣatriyas.”

Word by Word

नnot

चand

विप्रेषुamong Brahmins

अधिकारःauthority/right

विद्यतेexists/is found

वरणम्choice/selection (of a husband)

प्रतिtowards/with regard to

स्वयंवरःsvayaṃvara (self-choice ceremony)

क्षत्रियाणाम्of the Kshatriyas

इतिthus/so (quotative)

इयम्this

प्रथिताwell-known/renowned

श्रुतिःtradition/hearsay/authoritative saying

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Brahmins (Vipras)

Kṣatriyas

Svayaṃvara

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a norm of varṇa-based propriety: the formal bride-choice rite (svayaṃvara) is traditionally regarded as a Kṣatriya institution, and Brahmins are said not to have the same entitlement to obtain a bride through that public ‘selection’ procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana states a received rule about who is considered eligible in the context of a svayaṃvara, framing the social-legal background for the marriage episode being discussed in this section of the Ādi Parva.