Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
दृष्टं हि सहदेवेन दिश॑ विजयता तदा । ततस्तां समलंकृत्य कन्यामाहृतवाससम्
dṛṣṭaṃ hi sahadevena diśaṃ vijayatā tadā | tatastāṃ samalaṅkṛtya kanyāmāhṛtavāsasam ||
Bhīṣma dit : « En vérité, en ce temps-là, Sahadeva, tandis qu’il soumettait les directions, la vit. Puis, l’ayant fait parer comme il convient et ayant fait apporter des vêtements pour la jeune fille, (il agit en conséquence). »
भीष्म उवाच
Even amid political conquest, conduct should remain governed by dharma—showing restraint, propriety, and protective responsibility toward those encountered, especially the vulnerable.
Bhīṣma narrates that Sahadeva, during his campaign of conquest, saw a maiden; afterward she was respectfully adorned and provided with garments, indicating formal, courtly handling of the situation.