Shloka 13
Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)
भीष्य उवाच सा तदा तेन विप्रेण तथा तेन निवर्तिता । स्वतन्त्रास्मीत्युवाचर्षि न धर्मच्छलमस्ति ते,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--राजन्! इस प्रकार उन ब्रह्मर्षिके लौटानेपर उसने कहा--'मैं स्वतन्त्र हूँ; अत: मेरे साथ समागम करनेसे आपके धर्मकी छलना नहीं होगी”
bhīṣma uvāca sā tadā tena vipreṇa tathā tena nivartitā | svatantrāsmīty uvācārṣi na dharmacchalam asti te ||
Bhishma said: “O King, when that brahmarshi tried to dissuade her in this manner, she replied, ‘I am free to choose for myself. Therefore, if you unite with me, there will be no deception or violation of dharma on your part.’”
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ethical responsibility around intention and consent: if a woman freely chooses (svatantrā) and there is no misuse of dharma as a pretext (dharma-chala), the man is not guilty of a dharmic deception in accepting her.
Bhishma recounts an episode where a brahmarshi attempts to dissuade a woman; she responds that she is independent to decide and assures that union with her would not constitute a deceit or violation of dharma for the man involved.