Shloka 2
अर्हणं तत्कुमारीणामानृशंस्यतमं च तत् । सर्व च प्रतिदेयं स्थात् कन््यायै तदशेषत:
arhaṇaṁ tat-kumārīṇām ānṛśaṁsyatamaṁ ca tat | sarvaṁ ca pratideyaṁ syāt kanyāyai tad aśeṣataḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Itulah penghormatan yang patut bagi para gadis, dan itulah jalan yang paling berwelas asih. Apa pun yang diterima hendaknya dikembalikan seluruhnya kepada sang gadis—tanpa tersisa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Any wealth received in connection with a maiden should be treated as her due honor and must be transferred to her entirely; the ethical emphasis is compassion and protection of the maiden’s interests rather than commodifying her.
Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on dharma related to marriage customs, stating that what is taken for a maiden’s clothing/ornaments is properly an act of honoring her, and it should be given wholly to the maiden.