Shloka 23
Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)
ततो द्वैपायनस्तस्मै नरेन्द्राय महात्मने । आचख्यौ तद् यथा धर्मो बहूनामेकपत्निता
tato dvaipāyanas tasmai narendrāya mahātmane | ācakhyau tad yathā dharmo bahūnām ekapatnitā ||
Kemudian Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) menerangkan kepada raja yang berhati mulia itu bagaimana kedudukan dharma dalam hal ini—bahawa bagi ramai lelaki, mempunyai seorang isteri sahaja (iaitu monogami) dianggap sebagai perilaku yang wajar dan diakui.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vyāsa frames marital conduct in terms of dharma, stating that the accepted norm for many men is ekapatnitā—having one wife—presented as ethically sanctioned behavior.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Vyāsa addresses a king and explains the dharmic principle relevant to the situation, specifically the rule concerning one-wife marriage.