Shloka 32
Pāṇḍu’s Marriages, Conquests, and Triumphal Return (पाण्डोर्विवाह-विजय-प्रत्यागमनम्)
तेषां पिता यथा स्वामी तथा माता न संशय: । विधानविहित: सत्यं यथा मे प्रथम: सुतः
teṣāṃ pitā yathā svāmī tathā mātā na saṃśayaḥ | vidhāna-vihitaḥ satyaṃ yathā me prathamaḥ sutaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Sebagaimana bapa ialah tuan dan penjaga yang sah bagi anak-anak, demikian juga ibu—tiada keraguan. Sesungguhnya, menurut ketetapan takdir, engkau anak sulungku; dan demikian juga Vicitravīrya anak bongsuku. Maka, sebagaimana Bhīṣma saudaranya dari pihak bapa, engkau juga saudaranya dari pihak ibu. Inilah pendirianku; bertindaklah menurut pertimbanganmu. Dalam menegakkan kebenaran ini, Bhīṣma, putera Śāntanu, setia memelihara dharma.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms that parental authority and responsibility over children belongs equally to both father and mother, and that ethical decisions about kinship and duty should be grounded in truth (satya) and dharma rather than convenience.
A claim about kinship is being ethically justified: the speaker argues that brotherhood can be established through the mother as well as through the father, and praises Bhīṣma for adhering to truth and dharma in recognizing and acting upon these familial obligations.