Shloka 2
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
अयं हि सर्वधर्माणां धर्मश्चिन्त्यतमो मतः । कीदृशस्य प्रदेया स्थात् कन्येति वसुधाधिप,पृथ्वीनाथ! सब धर्मोंसे बढ़कर यही चिन्तन करने योग्य धर्म माना गया है कि कैसे पात्रको कन्या देनी चाहिये?
ayaṁ hi sarvadharmāṇāṁ dharmaś cintyatamo mataḥ | kīdṛśasya pradeyā syāt kanyeti vasudhādhipa ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Antara segala dharma, inilah yang dianggap paling layak direnungi dengan teliti: kepada lelaki bagaimana harus seorang puteri dikahwinkan, wahai tuan penguasa bumi?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the duty of giving a daughter in marriage (kanyā-pradāna) is not a mere formality but a highly deliberative ethical responsibility, requiring careful judgment of the prospective groom’s character and fitness.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a question to a royal authority/teacher figure, asking what kind of man is truly worthy to receive a daughter in marriage, framing it as one of the most subtle and important matters of dharma.