Shloka 22

Varṇasaṃkara: Causes, Classifications, and Conduct-based Recognition (वर्णसंकरः—हेतु-जाति-आचारनिर्णयः)

Devanagari script

वश्यां कुमारी बलतो ये तां समुपभुञज्जते । एते पापस्य कर्तारस्तमस्यन्धे च शेरते,जो किसी कुमारी कन्याको बलपूर्वक अपने वशमें करके उसका उपभोग करते हैं, वे पापाचारी मनुष्य अन्धकारपूर्ण नरकमें गिरते हैं

Transliteration

vaśyāṃ kumārīṃ balato ye tāṃ samupabhuñjate | ete pāpasya kartāras tamasy andhe ca śerate ||

Translation

Bhishma said: Those who, by force, bring a maiden under their control and violate her are doers of grave sin; they lie in blind, darkness-filled hell.

Word by Word

वश्याम्subjugated, brought under control

कुमारीम्a maiden, unmarried girl

बलतःby force, forcibly

येwho (those who)

ताम्her, that (woman)

समुपभुञ्जतेenjoy/violate (sexually), have intercourse with

एतेthese (men)

पापस्यof sin

कर्तारःdoers, perpetrators

तमसिin darkness

अन्धेblind, dark

चand

शेरतेlie, rest (i.e., remain)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

kumārī (maiden)

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?

Forcibly subjugating and violating a maiden is a grievous adharma; such perpetrators incur heavy pāpa and are said to fall into blinding darkness—an image for severe punishment and moral ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma and conduct. Here he explicitly denounces coercive sexual acts, warning of dire consequences for those who commit them.