Shloka 14

Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

श्रेष्ठ पुरुष ब्राह्मणका शूद्र-कन्याके गर्भसे संतान उत्पन्न करना अच्छा नहीं मानते। शूद्राके गर्भसे संतान उत्पन्न करनेवाला ब्राह्मण प्रायश्चित्तका भागी होता है ।।

Transliteration

triṁśadvarṣo daśavarṣāṁ bhāryāṁ vindeta nāgnikām | ekaviṁśativarṣo vā saptavarṣām avāpnuyāt ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠଜନଙ୍କ ମତରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଶୂଦ୍ର-କନ୍ୟାର ଗର୍ଭରୁ ସନ୍ତାନ ଜନ୍ମାଇବା ପ୍ରଶଂସନୀୟ ନୁହେଁ; ଶୂଦ୍ରାରେ ସନ୍ତାନ ଜନ୍ମାଇଥିବା ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ପ୍ରାୟଶ୍ଚିତ୍ତର ଭାଗୀ ହୁଏ। ତିରିଶ ବର୍ଷର ପୁରୁଷ ଯେ କନ୍ୟା ଏପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଋତୁମତୀ ହୋଇନାହିଁ, ସେହି ଦଶ ବର୍ଷର କନ୍ୟାକୁ ପତ୍ନୀରୂପେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରୁ; କିମ୍ବା ଏକୋଇଶ ବର୍ଷର ପୁରୁଷ ସାତ ବର୍ଷର କନ୍ୟାକୁ ବିବାହରେ ପାଉ।

Word by Word

• त्रिंशद्वर्षः: a thirty-year-old (man)
• त्रिंशद्वर्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशद्-वर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशवर्षाम्: a ten-year-old (girl)
• दशवर्षाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-वर्ष
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भार्याम्: wife
• भार्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विन्देत: should obtain / should marry
• विन्देत: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (विन्दति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नग्निकाम्: a pre-menstrual girl (not yet menstruating)
• नग्निकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग्निका
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• एकविंशतिवर्षः: a twenty-one-year-old (man)
• एकविंशतिवर्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति-वर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• सप्तवर्षाम्: a seven-year-old (girl)
• सप्तवर्षाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-वर्ष
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्नुयात्: should obtain / should marry
• अवाप्नुयात्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (अवाप्नोति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

It presents a normative rule (as Bhishma’s instruction on dharma) about socially sanctioned ages for marriage, specifying a man’s age and a very young bride’s age, with the condition that the girl is pre-menarchal.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is delivering extended teachings on dharma to Yudhishthira; this verse occurs within that instructional setting as a prescriptive statement about marriage practice.