Shloka 33

Devanagari script

यच्च तां च ददत्येवं न शुल्क विक्रयो न सः । प्रतिगृह्म भवेद्‌ देयमेष धर्म: सनातन:

Transliteration

yac ca tāṃ ca dadaty evaṃ na śulka-vikrayo na saḥ | pratigṛhṇan bhaved deyaṃ eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||

Translation

And when one gives her in this manner, it is not a sale for a bride-price—he is not a trader. What is given should be accepted as a gift; this is the eternal rule of dharma.

Word by Word

यत्that which

चand

ताम्her/that (woman)

चand

ददातिgives

एवम्thus/in this manner

नnot

शुल्कःbride-price/fee

विक्रयःsale

नnot

सःthat/this (is)

प्रतिगृह्यhaving accepted (in return)

भवेत्would be/should be

देयम्a thing that should be given / what is to be given

एषःthis

धर्मःdharma/law

सनातनःeternal/ancient

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

Bhīṣma distinguishes righteous marriage-giving from commercial transaction: giving a maiden is not to be treated as a sale for a demanded bride-price; what is offered should be received as a gift, in keeping with enduring dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (especially social and household norms), he clarifies the ethical boundary in marriage arrangements: payments must not turn the act into ‘selling’ the bride; acceptance should be in the spirit of a gift rather than purchase.