Shloka 18
Pātra-Lakṣaṇa and Niścita-Dharma
Marks of a Worthy Recipient and Stable Criteria of Dharma
भीष्म उवाच अष्टावक्रस्तथेत्युक्त्वा प्रतिगृह्मु च तां प्रभो । कन्यां परमथधर्मात्मा प्रीतिमांश्नाभवत् तदा
bhīṣma uvāca | aṣṭāvakras tathety uktvā pratigṛhṇu ca tāṃ prabho | kanyāṃ paramadharmātmā prītimān abhavat tadā ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Ôi chúa thượng, sau đó Aṣṭāvakra, bậc có tâm hồn chí thiện, nói ‘Được như vậy’ rồi nhận cô gái ấy làm vợ. Ngay lúc ấy, ngài tràn ngập niềm hoan hỷ lớn lao.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic acceptance of a marital union: a righteous person gives assent (“tathāstu”) and formally accepts the maiden, and this alignment with proper conduct brings inner contentment (prīti).
Bhīṣma narrates that Aṣṭāvakra agrees to the proposal and performs the act of accepting the maiden as his wife (pāṇigrahaṇa implied by pratigṛhṇu), after which he feels great joy.