Shloka 135
महाकुले निवेष्टव्यं सदृशे वा युधिष्िर । अवरा पतिता चैव न ग्राह्मा भूतिमिच्छता,युधिष्ठिर! अपना कल्याण चाहनेवाले पुरुषको अपनी अपेक्षा महान् या समान कुलमें विवाह करना चाहिये। नीच जातिवाली तथा पतिता कन्याका पाणिग्रहण कदापि नहीं करना चाहिये
mahākule niveṣṭavyaṃ sadṛśe vā yudhiṣṭhira | avarā patitā caiva na grāhyā bhūtim icchatā ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, one who seeks his own welfare and prosperity should contract marriage into a great family, or at least into one equal in standing. A woman of inferior birth, and especially one who is fallen from right conduct, should not be accepted in marriage by a man who desires lasting well-being.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma frames marriage as a dharmic and pragmatic alliance: for one seeking stable welfare (bhūti), one should marry into a noble or equal family, and avoid unions that, in his normative social-ethical framework, are seen as degrading—especially with someone described as patitā (fallen from accepted conduct).
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing King Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he gives counsel on household life and marital choice, presenting it as a factor affecting prosperity, reputation, and the continuity of righteous living.