By acting otherwise, a man is sure to meet with destruction,
O delighter of the Kurus. Reason is respected at all times and under all
circumstances. Only one man, viz., Vipula, had succeeded in protecting
woman. There is none else, O king, in the three worlds who is capable of
protecting women.'"
SECTION XLIV
"Yudhishthira said, "Tell me of that, O grandsire, which is the root of
all duties, which is the root of kinsmen, of home, of the Pitris and of
guests. I think this should be regarded as the foremost of all duties,
(viz., the marriage of one's daughter). Tell me, however, O king, upon
what sort of a person should one bestow one's daughter?'
"Bhishma said, 'Having enquired into the conduct and disposition of the
person, his learning and acquirements, his birth, and his acts, good
people should then bestow their daughter upon accomplished bridegrooms.
All righteous Brahmanas, O Yudhishthira, act in this way (in the matter
of the bestowal of their daughters). This is known as the Brahma
marriage, O Yudhishthira! Selecting an eligible bridegroom, the father of
the girl should cause him to marry his daughter, having, by presents of
diverse kinds, induced the bridegroom to that act. This form of marriage
constitutes the eternal practice of all good Kshatriyas. When the father
of the girl', disregarding his own wishes, bestows his daughter upon a
person whom the daughter likes and who reciprocates the girl's
sentiments, the form of marriage, O Yudhishthira, is called Gandharva by
those that are conversant with the Vedas.
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