Shloka 1
Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)
अपन क्रा छा अं क्ााज षट्चत्वारिशो5 ध्याय: स्त्रियोंके वस्त्रा भूषणोंसे सत्कार करनेकी आवश्यकताका प्रतिपादन भीष्म उवाच प्राचेतसस्य वचन कीर्तयन्ति पुराविद: । यस्या: किंचिन्नाददते ज्ञातयो न स विक्रय:
bhīṣma uvāca | prācetasasya vacanaṁ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ | yasyāḥ kiṁcin nādadate jñātayo na sa vikrayaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Yudhishthira, para cendekia yang memahami adat kuno menuturkan sabda Pracetas (Daksha Prajapati) demikian. Bila kerabat seorang gadis menerima harta yang diperuntukkan bagi pakaian dan perhiasannya, namun tidak mengambil sedikit pun untuk diri mereka sendiri, maka itu bukanlah ‘penjualan’ sang gadis. Itu hanyalah penghormatan bagi sang gadis—suatu laku yang berlandaskan welas asih; dan apa pun yang diperoleh atas namanya hendaknya dipersembahkan seluruhnya kepadanya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wealth received in connection with a maiden’s marriage is not to be treated as her ‘sale’ if the relatives do not appropriate it for themselves; it should function as an honorific provision for her clothing and ornaments, and be given to her in full.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira on dharma, he cites an old authoritative saying attributed to Pracetas/Daksha to clarify the ethical boundary between honoring a bride with gifts and the immoral notion of selling her.