Shloka 38
Adhyāya 31: Rājasūya-samāgama — The Gathering of Kings and the Ordering of Hospitality
एवमनिनिवररं प्रादात् स्त्रीणामप्रतिवारणे । वरिण्यस्तत्र नार्यो हि यथेष्टं विचरन्त्युत
evam anivāraṇaṁ prādāt strīṇām aprativāraṇe | variṇyas tatra nāryo hi yatheṣṭaṁ vicaranty uta ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus (Agni) granted women an unobstructed freedom—one in which no one could lawfully prevent them. Therefore, the women there moved about as they wished, free to choose a husband for themselves according to their own desire.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic principle of non-coercion in marriage: women are granted the right to choose for themselves, and social power should not obstruct that choice.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Agni granted a boon ensuring women could not be prevented from choosing a husband; consequently, the women in that setting freely moved about to make their own selection.