Shloka 7
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
युधिष्ठिर! जब कन्याके माता-पिता अपने पसंद किये हुए वरको छोड़कर जिसे कन्या पसंद करती हो तथा जो कन्याको चाहता हो ऐसे वरके साथ उस कन्याका विवाह करते हैं, तब वेदवेत्ता पुरुष उस विवाहको गान्धर्व धर्म (गान्धर्व विवाह) कहते हैं ।। धनेन बहुधा क्रीत्वा सम्प्रलोभ्य च बान्धवान् । असुराणां नृपैतं वै धर्ममाहुर्मनीषिण:,नरेश्वर! कन्याके बन्धु-बान्धवोंको लोभमें डालकर उन्हें बहुत-सा धन देकर जो कन्याको खरीद लिया जाता है, इसे मनीषी पुरुष असुरोंका धर्म (आसुर विवाह) कहते हैं
yudhiṣṭhira! yadā kanyāyā mātā-pitarau svayaṃ-vṛtaṃ varaṃ vihāya yaṃ kanyā rocate yaś ca kanyām icchati, tena saha tasyāḥ kanyāyā vivāhaṃ kurutaḥ, tadā vedavidaḥ puruṣāḥ taṃ vivāhaṃ gāndharva-dharmaṃ (gāndharva-vivāham) vadanti. dhanena bahudhā krītvā sampralobhya ca bāndhavān, asurāṇāṃ nṛpa etam vai dharmam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ. nareśvara! kanyāyā bāndhava-bāndhavān lobhe nidhāya bahu-dhanaṃ dattvā yā kanyā krītā bhavati, taṃ manīṣiṇaḥ āsura-dharmaṃ (āsura-vivāham) vadanti.
Bhishma said: “Yudhishthira, when a maiden’s parents set aside the suitor they themselves had chosen and instead marry her to the man she prefers—who also desires her—learned men of the Vedas call that form of marriage the Gandharva mode. But when, O king, her kinsmen are enticed and won over, and the maiden is in effect ‘purchased’ by giving abundant wealth, the wise declare that to be the Asura mode of marriage.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes two marriage forms: Gandharva marriage is validated as a union based on mutual preference of the couple, while Asura marriage is criticized as a transaction where wealth is used to entice relatives and effectively ‘buy’ the bride.
In his instruction to Yudhishthira on dharma, Bhishma defines and classifies marriage practices, explaining how learned authorities label a love-choice marriage as Gandharva and a wealth-driven, purchase-like arrangement as Asura.