Anushasana Parva

Chapter 56: Narada names the eight lawful kinds of wife

इति श्रीमन्महाभारते अनुशासनपर्वणि दानधर्मपर्वणि षट्पञ्चाशोऽध्यायः ॥

6 verses · 56 of 274

What happens in this chapter

Narada names the eight lawful kinds of wife

Markandeya, having heard of maidens, asks about dharma and adharma in taking wives. Narada says eight kinds of wife are lawful for a man, beneficial here and hereafter, and their sons may offer havya and kavya. Three stand first: the virtuous wife wed by the rite of taking the hand, the maiden not yet wed by the rite, and a brother's widow taken as one's own, who bears a son of the body. Markandeya asks for the other five. Narada lists a wife of the same gotra, a bought wife, another's wife given by arrangement, a wife who left and returned, and one brought from an ashrama. These too are lawful, and their sons can offer to devas and pitris.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

56.1

श्रुतं बहुविधं वृत्तं कन्यकानां महामते ।
इच्छामि योषितां श्रोतुं धर्माधर्मौ परिग्रहे

śrutaṃ bahuvidhaṃ vṛttaṃ kanyakānāṃ mahāmate |
icchāmi yoṣitāṃ śrotuṃ dharmādharmau parigrahe

नारद उवाच

56.2

अष्टौ भार्यागमा धर्म्या नराणां दारकर्मणि ।
प्रेत्येह च हिता यास्तु सपुत्रा हव्यकव्यदाः

aṣṭau bhāryāgamā dharmyā narāṇāṃ dārakarmaṇi |
pretyeha ca hitā yāstu saputrā havyakavyadāḥ

56.3

साध्वी पाणिगृहीता या कौमारी पाणिवर्जिता ।
भ्रातृभार्या स्वभार्येति प्रसूयेत्पुत्रमौरसम्

sādhvī pāṇigṛhītā yā kaumārī pāṇivarjitā |
bhrātṛbhāryā svabhāryeti prasūyetputramaurasam

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

56.4

त्रयो भार्यागमा ज्ञेया यत्र धर्मो न नश्यति ।
पञ्चान्याः पश्चिमा ब्रूहि भार्यास्तासां च ये सुताः

trayo bhāryāgamā jñeyā yatra dharmo na naśyati |
pañcānyāḥ paścimā brūhi bhāryāstāsāṃ ca ye sutāḥ

नारद उवाच

56.5

सगोत्रभार्या क्रीता च परभार्या च कारिता ।
गतागता च या भार्या आश्रमादाहृता च या

sagotrabhāryā krītā ca parabhāryā ca kāritā |
gatāgatā ca yā bhāryā āśramādāhṛtā ca yā

56.6

एता भार्यागमाः पञ्च पुनर्भार्या भवन्ति याः ।
एता भार्या नृणां गम्यास्तत्पुत्रा हव्यकव्यदाः

etā bhāryāgamāḥ pañca punarbhāryā bhavanti yāḥ |
etā bhāryā nṛṇāṃ gamyāstatputrā havyakavyadāḥ

Text source: Wikisource · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription of a public-domain text)