Shloka 2
Varṇasaṃkara: Causes, Classifications, and Conduct-based Recognition (वर्णसंकरः—हेतु-जाति-आचारनिर्णयः)
भीष्म उवाच या पुत्रकस्य ऋद्धस्य प्रतिपाल्या तदा भवेत् | अथ चेन्नाहरेच्छुल्क॑ क्रीता शुल्कप्रदस्य सा
bhīṣma uvāca yā putrakasya ṛddhasya pratipālyā tadā bhavet | atha cen nāharec chulkaṃ krītā śulkapradasya sā ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຢຸທິສຖິຣ, ຖ້າໄດ້ຮັບຄ່າເຈົ້າສາວຈາກຄົນຮັ່ງມີທີ່ບໍ່ມີລູກຊາຍ ແລ້ວ, ໜ້າທີ່ຂອງພໍ່ຄືການປົກປ້ອງນາງທຸກປະການຈົນກວ່າຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະກັບຄືນ. ຕາບໃດທີ່ຍັງບໍ່ໄດ້ຄືນເງິນນັ້ນ, ນາງ—ຜູ້ຖືກນັບວ່າ ‘ຖືກຊື້’—ຖືກຖືວ່າເປັນຂອງຜູ້ຈ່າຍຄ່າ. »
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Accepting a bride-price creates a binding obligation: until the payment is returned, the guardian must protect the maiden, and failure to repay implies the transaction stands, making her legally/ritually associated with the payer. The emphasis is on accountability, protection of the vulnerable, and integrity in agreements.
In his instruction to Yudhishthira on dharma, Bhishma discusses a case involving a maiden for whom a bride-price has been taken. He clarifies the guardian’s duty of protection and the legal-ethical consequence if the bride-price is not returned.