Shloka 35
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
तस्मादा ग्रहणात् पाणेर्याचयन्ति परस्परम् । कन्यावर: पुरा दत्तो मरुद्धिरिति न: श्रुतम्
tasmād āgrahaṇāt pāṇer yācayanti parasparam | kanyāvaraḥ purā datto marudbhir iti naḥ śrutam ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: Kaya bago matapos ang ritwal ng paghawak sa kamay ng nobya (pāṇigrahaṇa), maaaring maghanap at magpahayag ng hangarin sa isa’t isa ang lalaki at ang dalaga—bawat isa’y maaaring humiling sa kabila. Narinig namin na noong unang panahon, ipinagkaloob ng mga Marut ang ganitong “karapatang pumili ng dalaga at manliligaw” bilang isang pinahihintulutang karapatan. Kaya, hanggang hindi pa nagaganap ang paghawak-kamay, pinahihintulutan ang paghingi at paglapit sa isa’t isa ng magiging mag-asawa.
भीष्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Until the pāṇigrahaṇa rite is performed, the prospective bride and groom are not yet ritually bound; therefore, mutual seeking/asking is allowed. The passage grounds this permissibility in traditional authority attributed to the Maruts.
Bhīṣma is explaining norms of marriage-dharma: he clarifies when a match becomes binding and cites an old tradition—said to be granted by the Maruts—to justify that prior to the hand-taking ceremony, the parties may still request or choose one another.