Shloka 54
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
तत्पाणिग्रहणात् पूर्वमन्तरं यत्र वर्तते । सर्वमड्रलमन्त्रं वै मृषावादस्तु पातक:
tat-pāṇigrahaṇāt pūrvam antaraṃ yatra vartate | sarva-maṅgala-mantraṃ vai mṛṣāvādas tu pātakaḥ ||
Bhishma bersabda: Jika sebelum pāṇigrahaṇa timbul jeda atau halangan—meski seluruh upacara mujur dan mantra telah dilaksanakan—lalu gadis itu diberikan kepada mempelai lain yang layak, maka sang pemberi (wali) hanya menanggung dosa berkata tidak benar.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The binding point of marriage is pāṇigrahaṇa; if a match is altered before that, the primary fault is breaking one’s word (mṛṣāvāda), not an invalid or adulterous marriage.
Bhīṣma addresses a debated case in marriage procedure: even if preliminary auspicious rites and mantras have begun, if an interruption occurs before the hand-taking, the bride may be given to another groom; the giver’s culpability is limited to false speech.