Shloka 68

Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation

Devanagari script

परिवित्ति: परिवेत्ता या चैव परिविद्यते । पाणिग्रहास्त्वधर्मेण सर्वे ते पतिता: स्मृता:,ज्येष्ठ भाईका विवाह होनेसे पहले ही यदि छोटा भाई अधर्मपूर्वक विवाह कर ले तो ज्येष्ठको “परिवित्ति” कहते हैं; छोटे भाईको “परिवेत्ता' हैं और उसकी पत्नीको जिसका परिवेदन (ग्रहण) किया जाता है, परिवेदनीया कहते हैं-ये सब-के-सब पतित माने गये हैं

Transliteration

parivittiḥ parivettā yā caiva parividyate | pāṇigrahās tv adharmeṇa sarve te patitāḥ smṛtāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: Bila adik laki-laki mengambil istri sebelum kakak laki-laki menikah, maka sang kakak disebut ‘parivitti’, sang adik disebut ‘parivettā’, dan perempuan yang demikian diambil disebut ‘parividyate’. Perkawinan seperti itu, karena dilakukan bertentangan dengan dharma, dikenang sebagai menyebabkan kejatuhan dari kebenaran bagi semua yang terlibat.

Word by Word

परिवित्तिःthe elder brother (whose younger brother marries first)

परिवेत्ताthe younger brother who marries first

याwho (she who)

चand

एवindeed/just

परिविद्यतेis called/known (as)

पाणिग्रहाःmarriages (hand-taking rites)

तुbut/indeed

अधर्मेणby unrighteousness/contrary to dharma

सर्वेall

तेthey

पतिताःfallen (from dharma)/degraded

स्मृताःare considered/are said (to be)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

The verse teaches that violating the customary dharmic order of marriage—where the younger brother marries before the elder—constitutes an adharma-based marriage, and tradition regards all parties involved as incurring moral fault (patita).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma defines technical terms used in dharma-discourse—parivitti (bypassed elder), parivettā (younger who marries first), and parividyate (the woman taken)—and states the ethical judgment attached to such a marriage.