Shloka 13
Ādi-parva, Adhyāya 73: Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dispute, Confinement in the Well, and Yayāti’s Rescue
गान्धर्वराक्षसौ क्षत्रे धर्म्यों तो मा विशड्किथा: । पृथग् वा यदि वा मिश्रौ कर्तव्यौ नात्र संशय:,गान्धर्व और राक्षस--दोनों विवाह क्षत्रियजातिके लिये धर्मानुकूल ही हैं। अत: उनके विषयमें तुम्हें संदेह नहीं करना चाहिये। वे दोनों विवाह परस्पर मिले हों या पृथक्-पृथक् हों, क्षत्रियके लिये करनेयोग्य ही हैं, इसमें संशय नहीं है
duṣyanta uvāca | gāndharvarākṣasau kṣatre dharmyau tau mā viśaṅkithāḥ | pṛthag vā yadi vā miśrau kartavyau nātra saṁśayaḥ ||
Duṣyanta nói: “Đối với một kṣatriya, hôn lễ theo thể Gāndharva và thể Rākṣasa đều được dharma chuẩn nhận; vì thế nàng chớ nghi ngờ. Dù thực hành riêng rẽ hay kết hợp, kṣatriya đều có thể cử hành—không có điều gì mơ hồ cả.”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a dharma-based classification: for kṣatriyas, both Gāndharva (mutual-consent) and Rākṣasa (forceful, martial) marriage-types are considered dharmically allowable, and thus should not be doubted when invoked within kṣatriya norms.
Duṣyanta is reassuring his interlocutor (in the Śakuntalā episode context) by citing accepted kṣatriya standards for marriage, arguing that the mode of union—whether purely Gāndharva or involving elements associated with Rākṣasa—does not invalidate it for a warrior-king.