Special Call Prof. Jay L. Garfield Commemorative Volume · Submissions Open
Announcements Newsletters About Us Contact
Search
MBh
Mahābhārata • Parva 13 (Anuśāsanaparva) • Adhyāya 47

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 47

अनुशासनपर्व • अध्यायः 47

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 47 of the classical Mahābhārata with 62 verses.

Total: 62 Verses • Citations: MBh 13.47.1–62 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 3 (Verses 30 shown)
सर्वशास्त्रविधानज्ञ राजधर्मार्थवित्तम । अतीव संशयच्छेत्ता भवान्वै प्रथितः क्षितौ ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said You know fully well the ordinances of all the scriptures. You are the foremost of those who are acquainted with the duties of kings. You are celebrated over the whole world as a great remover of doubts.
कश्चित्तु संशयो मेऽस्ति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह । अस्यामापदि कष्टायामन्यं पृच्छाम कं वयम् ॥
English Translation
I have a doubt, do you explain it to me, O grandfather. As regards this doubt that has originated in my mind, I shall not ask any other person for its solution.
यथा नरेण कर्तव्यं यश्च धर्मः सनातनः । एतत्सर्वं महाबाहो भवान्व्याख्यातुमर्हति ॥
English Translation
You should, O you of mighty arms, expound as to how a man should act who is desirous of treading along the path of duty and virtue.
चतस्रो विहिता भार्या ब्राह्मणस्य पितामह । ब्राह्मणी क्षत्रिया वैश्या शूद्रा च रतिमिच्छतः ॥
English Translation
It has been laid down, O grandfather that a Brahmana can take four wives, viz., one who belongs to his own caste, one who is a Kshatriya, one who is a Vaishya, and one who is a Shudra, if the Brahmana wishes to satisfy the desire of sexual intercourse.
तत्र जातेषु पुत्रेषु सर्वासां कुरुसत्तम । आनुपूर्व्येण कस्तेषां पित्र्यं दायाद्यमर्हति ॥
English Translation
Tell me, O best of the Kurus, which amongst those sons should inherit the father's riches one after another.
केन वा किं ततो हार्यं पितृवित्तात्पितामह । एतदिच्छामि कथितं विभागस्तेषु यः स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
Who amongst them, O grandfather shall take what share of the paternal wealth? I wish to hear this, viz., how the distribution has been ordained amongst them of the paternal property.
ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यस्त्रयो वर्णा द्विजातयः । एतेषु विहितो धर्मो ब्राह्मणस्य युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said The Brahman, the Kshatriya, and the Vaishya are considered the three twiceborn castes, To marry in these three castes has been ordained to be the duty of the Brahmana, O Yudhishthira.
वैषम्यादथ वा लोभात्कामाद्वापि परंतप । ब्राह्मणस्य भवेच्छूद्रा न तु दृष्टान्ततः स्मृता ॥
English Translation
Through erroneous judgement or cupidity or lust, O destroyer of enemies, a Brahmana takes a Shudra wife. He is not competent to take, according to the scriptures, such wife.
शूद्रां शयनमारोप्य ब्राह्मणः पीडितो भवेत् । प्रायश्चित्तीयते चापि विधिदृष्टेन हेतुना ॥
English Translation
A Brahmana, by knowing a Shudra woman comes by a low end in the next world. He should, having done such an act, perform expiation according to the rites laid down in the scriptures.
तत्र जातेष्वपत्येषु द्विगुणं स्याद्युधिष्ठिर । अतस्ते नियमं वित्ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि भारत ॥
English Translation
That expiation must be twice heavier or severer if on account of such an act, O Yudhishthira, the, Brahmana gets children. I shall now tell you, O Bharata, how the (paternal), wealth is to be distributed.
लक्षण्यो गोवृषो यानं यत्प्रधानतमं भवेत् । ब्राह्मण्यास्तद्धरेत्पुत्र एकांशं वै पितुर्धनात् ॥
English Translation
The son born of the Brahmani wife shall, in the first place, appropriate from his father's wealth a bull of good marks, and the best car or vehicle.
शेषं तु दशधा कार्यं ब्राह्मणस्वं युधिष्ठिर । तत्र तेनैव हर्तव्याश्चत्वारोंऽशाः पितुर्धनात् ॥
English Translation
What remains of the Brahmana's property, O Yudhishthira, after this, should be divided into ten equal parts, The son by the Brahmani wife shall take four of such parts of the paternal property.
क्षत्रियायास्तु यः पुत्रो ब्राह्मणः सोऽप्यसंशयः । स तु मातृविशेषेण त्रीनंशान्हर्तुमर्हति ॥
English Translation
The son that is born of the Kshatriya wife is, forsooth, possessed of the status of a Brahmana. On account, however, of the distinction attaching to his mother, he shall take three of the ten shares into which the property has been divided.
वर्णे तृतीये जातस्तु वैश्यायां ब्राह्मणादपि । द्विरंशस्तेन हर्तव्यो ब्राह्मणस्वाद्युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
The son who has been born of the wife belonging to the third caste, viz., the woman of the Vaishya caste, by the Brahmana father, shall take, O Yudhishthira, two of the three remaining shares of the father's property.
शूद्रायां ब्राह्मणाज्जातो नित्यादेयधनः स्मृतः । अल्पं वापि प्रदातव्यं शूद्रापुत्राय भारत ॥
English Translation
It has been said that the son who has been begotten by the Brahmana father upon the Shudra wife should not take any portion of the father's property, for he is not to be considered an heir. A little, however, of the paternal property should be given to the son of the Shudra wife, hence the one remaining share should be given to him out of compassion.
दशधा प्रविभक्तस्य धनस्यैष भवेत्क्रमः । सवर्णासु तु जातानां समान्भागान्प्रकल्पयेत् ॥
English Translation
Even this should be the order of the ten shares into which the Brahmana's wealth is to be distributed. All the sons that are born of the same mother or of mothers of the same caste, shall share equally the portion that is theirs.
अब्राह्मणं तु मन्यन्ते शूद्रापुत्रमनैपुणात् । त्रिषु वर्णेषु जातो हि ब्राह्मणाद्ब्राह्मणो भवेत् ॥
English Translation
The son born of the Shudra wife should not be considered as invested with the dignity of a Brahmana on account of his being unskilled (in the scriptures and the duties ordained for the Brahmana). Only those children who are born of wives belonging to the three higher castes should be considered as invested with the dignity of Brahmanas.
स्मृता वर्णाश्च चत्वारः पञ्चमो नाधिगम्यते । हरेत्तु दशमं भागं शूद्रापुत्रः पितुर्धनात् ॥
English Translation
It has said that there are only four castes and there is no fifth. The son by the Shudra wife shall take the tenth part of his father's wealth.
तत्तु दत्तं हरेत्पित्रा नादत्तं हर्तुमर्हति । अवश्यं हि धनं देयं शूद्रापुत्राय भारत ॥
English Translation
That share, however, he is to take only when his father has given it to him. He shall not take it if his father does not give it to him. Some portion of the father's riches should, forsooth, be given O Bharata, to the son of the Shudra wife.
आनृशंस्यं परो धर्म इति तस्मै प्रदीयते । यत्र तत्र समुत्पन्नो गुणायैवोपकल्पते ॥
English Translation
Compassion is one of the greatest virtues. It is through compassion that something is given to the son of the Shudra wife. Whatever be the object about which compassion arises, as a cardinal virtue it is always productive of merit.
यदि वाप्येकपुत्रः स्यादपुत्रो यदि वा भवेत् । नाधिकं दशमाद्दद्याच्छूद्रापुत्राय भारत ॥
English Translation
Whether the father happens to have children (by his wives belonging to the other castes) or to have no children, to the son by the Shudra wife, O Bharata, nothing more than a tenth part of the father's wealth should be given.
त्रैवार्षिकाद्यदा भक्तादधिकं स्याद्द्विजस्य तु । यजेत तेन द्रव्येण न वृथा साधयेद्धनम् ॥
English Translation
If a Brahmana happens to have more riches than what is necessary for maintaining himself and his family for three years, he should with that riches celebrate sacrifices. A Brahmana should never acquire riches for nothing.
त्रिसाहस्रपरो दायः स्त्रियो देयो धनस्य वै । तच्च भर्त्रा धनं दत्तं नादत्तं भोक्तुमर्हति ॥
English Translation
The highest sum that the husband should give the wife is three thousand coins. This wealth that the husband gives to the wife, the latter may spend or dispose of as she likes.
स्त्रीणां तु पतिदायाद्यमुपभोगफलं स्मृतम् । नापहारं स्त्रियः कुर्युः पतिवित्तात्कथंचन ॥
English Translation
Upon the death of the childless husband, the wife shall enjoy all his riches. The wife should never take any portion of her husband's riches.
स्त्रियास्तु यद्भवेद्वित्तं पित्रा दत्तं युधिष्ठिर । ब्राह्मण्यास्तद्धरेत्कन्या यथा पुत्रस्तथा हि सा । सा हि पुत्रसमा राजन्विहिता कुरुनन्दन ॥
English Translation
Whatever riches, O Yudhishthira, the Bralımani wife may acquire by gift from her father, should be taken by her daughter, for the daughter is like the son.
एवमेतत्समुद्दिष्टं धर्मेषु भरतर्षभ । एतद्धर्ममनुस्मृत्य न वृथा साधयेद्धनम् ॥
English Translation
The daughter, O king, has been ordained in the scriptures to be equal to the son, O delighter of the Kurus. Thus has the law of inheritance been ordained, o foremost of Bharata's family. Remembering these ordinances about the distribution and disposal of wealth, one should never acquire riches uselessly.
शूद्रायां ब्राह्मणाज्जातो यद्यदेयधनः स्मृतः । केन प्रतिविशेषेण दशमोऽप्यस्य दीयते ॥
English Translation
It has been said that the son who has been begotten by the Brahmana father upon the Shudra wife should not take any portion of the father's property, for he is not to be considered an heir. A little, however, of the paternal property should be given to the son of the Shudra wife, hence the one remaining share should be given to him out of compassion.
ब्राह्मण्यां ब्राह्मणाज्जातो ब्राह्मणः स्यान्न संशयः । क्षत्रियायां तथैव स्याद्वैश्यायामपि चैव हि ॥
English Translation
A son born of a Brahmani wife by a Brahmana is unquestionably a Brahmana. One born of a Kshatriya wife or of a Vaishya wife, by a Brahmana husband, is likewise a Brahmana.
कस्मात्ते विषमं भागं भजेरन्नृपसत्तम । यदा सर्वे त्रयो वर्णास्त्वयोक्ता ब्राह्मणा इति ॥
English Translation
Why then, O best of kings, are such sons to share the paternal property unequally? All of them, you have said, are Brahmanas, having been born of mothers that belong to the three higher castes equally entitled to the name of the twiceborn.
← Previous (Ch. 1727) Full Table of Contents Next (Ch. 1729) →