Shloka 18
Aṣṭāvakra and the Woman: Disclosure, Permission, and Marital Resolution (अनुशासन पर्व, अध्याय २२)
यदि वा दोषजातं त्वं परदारेषु पश्यसि । आत्मानं स्पर्शयाम्यद्य पार्णिं गृह्ीष्व मे द्विज
yadi vā doṣajātaṃ tvaṃ paradāreṣu paśyasi | ātmānaṃ sparśayāmy adya pāṇiṃ gṛhṇīṣva me dvija-brahman ||
അഷ്ടാവക്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു— പരസ്ത്രീയോടുള്ള സംഗമത്തിൽ നീ ദോഷം കാണുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, ഇന്ന് ഞാൻ എന്നെത്തന്നെ നിനക്കു സമർപ്പിക്കുന്നു; ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, എന്റെ പാണിഗ്രഹണം ചെയ്യുക.
अद्टावक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds sexual ethics within dharma: approaching another man’s wife is treated as a moral fault (doṣa). The speaker frames a remedy consistent with social-religious norms—legitimate union through pāṇigrahaṇa (marriage)—thereby contrasting illicit desire with sanctioned commitment.
Aṣṭāvakra addresses a brāhmaṇa and, anticipating or responding to concern about the wrongdoing of relations with another’s wife, offers herself and urges him to accept her hand in marriage. The speech functions as a moral pivot: if ‘paradāra’ is blameworthy, then the relationship should be regularized through lawful marriage.