Shloka 35
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
तस्मादा ग्रहणात् पाणेर्याचयन्ति परस्परम् । कन्यावर: पुरा दत्तो मरुद्धिरिति न: श्रुतम्
tasmād āgrahaṇāt pāṇer yācayanti parasparam | kanyāvaraḥ purā datto marudbhir iti naḥ śrutam ||
Bhīṣma dit : Ainsi, avant que ne soit accompli le rite de la prise de la main de l’épouse (pāṇigrahaṇa), l’homme et la jeune fille peuvent se rechercher l’un l’autre : chacun peut adresser une demande à l’autre. Nous avons entendu que jadis les Maruts accordèrent ce « droit de choix entre la jeune fille et le prétendant » comme un droit reconnu. Aussi, jusqu’à la prise de la main, la sollicitation réciproque entre futurs époux est permise.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Until the pāṇigrahaṇa rite is performed, the prospective bride and groom are not yet ritually bound; therefore, mutual seeking/asking is allowed. The passage grounds this permissibility in traditional authority attributed to the Maruts.
Bhīṣma is explaining norms of marriage-dharma: he clarifies when a match becomes binding and cites an old tradition—said to be granted by the Maruts—to justify that prior to the hand-taking ceremony, the parties may still request or choose one another.