Shloka 9
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow
मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञो लोकेषु कि वदिष्यति भारत | ब्रह्मचारीति भीष्मो हि वृथैव प्रथितो भुवि
mithyāpratijño lokeṣu kiṁ vadiṣyati bhārata | brahmacārīti bhīṣmo hi vṛthaiva prathito bhuvi
Vaiśampāyana dijo: “Oh Bhārata, ¿qué podrá decir en su defensa un hombre conocido en los mundos como quien quebranta su voto? Pues entonces la fama de Bhīṣma en la tierra como célibe de por vida quedaría vacía y sin sentido.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A vow (pratijñā) is an ethical anchor: if one becomes known as a breaker of promises, public trust collapses and even genuine virtues (like Bhīṣma’s famed brahmacarya) lose their moral force and meaning.
Vaiśampāyana underscores the stakes of fidelity to a pledge: he argues that if a pledge is violated, the person will have no credible defense before society, and Bhīṣma’s celebrated identity as a lifelong celibate would be rendered pointless.