Shloka 22

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच कथमस्य प्रयोक्तव्य: संस्कार: कस्य वा कथम्‌ । देया कन्या कथं चेति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! ऐसे बालकका संस्कार कैसे और किस जातिके अनुसार करना चाहिये? तथा वास्तवमें वह किस वर्णका है, यह कैसे जाना जाय? एवं किस तरह और किस जातिकी कन्याके साथ उसका विवाह करना चाहिये? यह मुझे बताइये

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: katham asya prayoktavyaḥ saṃskāraḥ kasya vā katham | deyā kanyā kathaṃ ceti tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

युधिष्ठिर उवाच— पितामह, अस्य बालस्य संस्कारः कथं प्रयोक्तव्यः? कस्य वर्णस्य विधिना वा? स च वास्तवतोऽस्य वर्णः कथं निर्णेयः? तथा कया रीत्या कस्य वर्णस्य कन्या तस्मै विवाहार्थं देया? एतन्मे ब्रूहि।

Word by Word

• {'katham': 'how

• in what way', 'asya': 'of this (person/child)', 'prayoktavyaḥ': 'to be applied/undertaken

• should be performed', 'saṃskāraḥ': 'sacramental rite

• purificatory ceremony', 'kasya': 'of whom

• belonging to which (group)', 'vā': 'or', 'deyā': 'to be given

• should be given (feminine, referring to kanyā)', 'kanyā': 'maiden

• daughter (as bride)', 'ceti': 'and thus

• ‘and so’ (quotative/summary particle)', 'tan': 'that', 'me': 'to me', 'brūhi': 'tell

• speak (imperative)', 'pitāmaha': 'grandfather

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• kanyā (maiden/bride)
• saṃskāra (rites of passage)
• varṇa (social order/class)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharma-question about how ritual status (saṃskāra), social identity (varṇa), and marital eligibility should be determined—implying that ethical and lawful conduct requires clarity about the proper basis for rites and marriage, not mere assumption.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Pitāmaha’ and asks for guidance on a case involving a child of uncertain classification: how to perform his saṃskāras, how to ascertain his true varṇa, and with whom he may rightly be married.