Shloka 25
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
बन्धुभि: समनुज्ञाते मन्त्रहोमौ प्रयोजयेत् । तथा सिद्धयन्ति ते मन्त्रा नादत्ताया: कथंचन
bandhubhiḥ samanujñāte mantrahomau prayojayet | tathā siddhyanti te mantrā nādattāyāḥ kathaṃcana ||
Bhishma berkata: Setelah para kerabat gadis itu memberikan persetujuan, barulah mantera-mantera pernikahan dan persembahan api (homa) patut dilaksanakan; hanya dengan demikian mantera itu menjadi sah dan berhasil. Bagi seorang gadis yang belum diberikan secara semestinya oleh wali/keluarganya, penerapan mantera tidak akan berhasil dengan cara apa pun—persatuan semacam itu tidak dipandang sebagai pernikahan yang disucikan oleh tata cara Weda.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual validity depends on rightful authorization: marriage mantras and homa are considered efficacious only when performed with the consent of the girl’s guardians/kinsmen and when she is duly ‘given’ in marriage; otherwise the rite is treated as not properly accomplished.
In Bhishma’s dharma-instruction discourse (Anushasana Parva), he lays down a rule about the proper performance of marriage rites, emphasizing consent and formal guardianship-based giving as prerequisites for the success of the Vedic mantras and homa.