Mahabharata 1.103.9 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 9
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 103 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Gāndhārī Vivāha: Proposal, Consent, and the Vow
मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञो लोकेषु कि वदिष्यति भारत | ब्रह्मचारीति भीष्मो हि वृथैव प्रथितो भुवि
mithyāpratijño lokeṣu kiṁ vadiṣyati bhārata | brahmacārīti bhīṣmo hi vṛthaiva prathito bhuvi
வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்—ஓ பாரதா! உலகங்களில் ‘பிரதிஞ்ஞை முறித்தவன்’ என்று பெயர் பெற்றவன் தன் தரப்பில் என்ன சொல்ல முடியும்? அப்போது பீஷ்மர் ‘வாழ்நாள் முழுதும் பிரம்மச்சாரி’ என்ற பூமியிலுள்ள புகழும் வெறுமையாகி அர்த்தமற்றதாகிவிடும்.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A vow (pratijñā) is an ethical anchor: if one becomes known as a breaker of promises, public trust collapses and even genuine virtues (like Bhīṣma’s famed brahmacarya) lose their moral force and meaning.
Vaiśampāyana underscores the stakes of fidelity to a pledge: he argues that if a pledge is violated, the person will have no credible defense before society, and Bhīṣma’s celebrated identity as a lifelong celibate would be rendered pointless.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.