Mahabharata 1.103.9 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 9
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow
मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञो लोकेषु कि वदिष्यति भारत | ब्रह्मचारीति भीष्मो हि वृथैव प्रथितो भुवि
mithyāpratijño lokeṣu kiṁ vadiṣyati bhārata | brahmacārīti bhīṣmo hi vṛthaiva prathito bhuvi
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພາຣະຕະ, ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກຮູ້ຈັກໃນໂລກທັງຫຼາຍວ່າເປັນຜູ້ຜິດສັດຈະປະຕິຍານ ຈະຍັງກ່າວຫຍັງເພື່ອປົກປ້ອງຕົນໄດ້? ເພາະເຊັ່ນນັ້ນ ຊື່ສຽງຂອງພີສະມະໃນແຜ່ນດິນວ່າເປັນພຣະຫມະຈາຣີຕະຫຼອດຊີວິດ ຈະກາຍເປັນເລື່ອງຫວ່າງເປົ່າ ແລະ ໄຮ້ຄວາມໝາຍ.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A vow (pratijñā) is an ethical anchor: if one becomes known as a breaker of promises, public trust collapses and even genuine virtues (like Bhīṣma’s famed brahmacarya) lose their moral force and meaning.
Vaiśampāyana underscores the stakes of fidelity to a pledge: he argues that if a pledge is violated, the person will have no credible defense before society, and Bhīṣma’s celebrated identity as a lifelong celibate would be rendered pointless.
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