Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 47 Shloka 56 - Mahabharata | French | Vedapath

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Shloka 56

Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

अनुकूलामनुवंशां क्रात्रा दत्तामुपाग्निकाम्‌ । परिक्रम्य यथान्यायं भार्या विन्देद्‌ द्विजोत्तम:

Transliteration

anukūlām anuvaṁśāṁ ca bhrātrā dattām upāgnikām | parikramya yathānyāyaṁ bhāryāṁ vinded dvijottamaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Le meilleur des dvija doit prendre pour épouse une femme au caractère agréable, conforme à son lignage, dûment donnée par son frère et assise près du feu sacré allumé ; après avoir fait la circumambulation du feu selon la règle, qu’il la reçoive conformément aux prescriptions des śāstra.

Word by Word

अनुकूलाम्favorable, agreeable

अनुवंशाम्in accordance with (one's) lineage

क्रात्राby the father (giver)

दत्ताम्given

उपाग्निकाम्seated/placed near the (sacred) fire

परिक्रम्यhaving circumambulated

यथाas, according to

न्यायम्rule, proper procedure

भार्याम्wife

विन्देत्should obtain/accept

द्विजोत्तमःthe best of the twice-born (a foremost Brahmin)

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

dvija (twice-born)

brother (bhrātṛ)

wife (bhāryā)

sacred fire (agni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Marriage is presented as a dharmic sacrament: the bride should be compatible and properly given by a guardian, and the union is ritually sealed by circumambulating the sacred fire according to śāstric procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing on household and marriage duties, describing the proper qualifications of a bride and the ritual act—circumambulation of the kindled fire—by which a twice-born man formally accepts her as wife.