Shloka 29
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
तस्मिन्नुभयतोदोषे कुर्वन् श्रेय: समाचरेत् । अयं नः सर्वधर्माणां धर्मश्षिन्त्यतमो मत:,इसमें दोनों दशाओंमें दोष प्राप्त होता है--यदि बन्धुजनोंकी सम्मतिसे मूल्य लेकर निश्चित किये हुए विवाहको उलट दिया जाय तो वचन-भंगका दोष लगता है और श्रेष्ठ वरका उल्लंघन करनेसे कनन््याके हितको हानि पहुँचानेका दोष प्राप्त होता है। ऐसी दशामें कन्यादाता क्या करे; जिससे वह कल्याणका भागी हो? हम तो सम्पूर्ण धर्मोमें इस कन्यादानरूप धर्मको ही अधिक चिन्तन अर्थात् विचारके योग्य मानते हैं
tasminn ubhayato-doṣe kurvan śreyaḥ samācaret | ayaṃ naḥ sarva-dharmāṇāṃ dharmaś cintyatamo mataḥ ||
When fault seems to arise on both sides, one should act so as to secure the greater good. In our view, among all duties, this duty—concerning the giving of a maiden in marriage—is the one most deserving of careful reflection.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
When every available option carries some fault, one should choose the course that best serves śreyas—the higher, long-term good—after careful deliberation; duties around marriage arrangements are presented as especially sensitive and worthy of deep thought.
Yudhiṣṭhira raises a dilemma: if a marriage promise is reversed, it risks the fault of breaking one’s word; if a better match is rejected, it risks harming the maiden’s welfare. He asks what action makes the giver of the maiden a participant in what is truly auspicious, emphasizing that this dharma demands the most careful consideration.