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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 2 of 3 (Verses 30 shown)
दारा इत्युच्यते लोके नाम्नैकेन परंतप । प्रोक्तेन चैकनाम्नायं विशेषः सुमहान्भवेत् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said O destroyer of enemies, all wives in this world are called by the name of Dara. Although that name is applied to all, yet there is this great difference to be observed.
तिस्रः कृत्वा पुरो भार्याः पश्चाद्विन्देत ब्राह्मणीम् । सा ज्येष्ठा सा च पूज्या स्यात्सा च ताभ्यो गरीयसी ॥
English Translation
If having married three wives belonging to the three other castes, a Brahmana takes a Brahmani wife the very last of all, yet shall she be considered as the first in rank among all the wives, and as being worthy of the greatest respect. Indeed, among all the cowives, she shall be the foremost.
स्नानं प्रसाधनं भर्तुर्दन्तधावनमञ्जनम् । हव्यं कव्यं च यच्चान्यद्धर्मयुक्तं भवेद्गृहे ॥
English Translation
In her apartments should be kept all necessary articles for the husband's baths, personal decorations washing of teeth, and application of collyrium to the eyes. In her apartments should be kept the Havya and the Kavya and all else that the husband may need for the performance of his religious acts.
न तस्यां जातु तिष्ठन्त्यामन्या तत्कर्तुमर्हति । ब्राह्मणी त्वेव तत्कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणस्य युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
If the Brahmani wife is in the house, no other wife is entitled to attend to these needs of the husband. Only the Brahmani wife, O Yudhishthira, should help the husband in these acts.
अन्नं पानं च माल्यं च वासांस्याभरणानि च । ब्राह्मण्यै तानि देयानि भर्तुः सा हि गरीयसी ॥
English Translation
The husband's food and drink and garlands and dresses and ornaments-all these should be given by the Brahmani wife to the husband, for she is the foremost in rank among all the wives of the husband.
मनुनाभिहितं शास्त्रं यच्चापि कुरुनन्दन । तत्राप्येष महाराज दृष्टो धर्मः सनातनः ॥
English Translation
These are the ordinances of the scriptures as laid down by Manu, O delighter of the Kurus! This, O king is seen to be the course of eternal practice.
अथ चेदन्यथा कुर्याद्यदि कामाद्युधिष्ठिर । यथा ब्राह्मणचण्डालः पूर्वदृष्टस्तथैव सः ॥
English Translation
If a Brahmana,OYudhishthira, actuated by lust, acts in a different way, he shall come to be considered as a Chandala among Brahmanas.
ब्राह्मण्याः सदृशः पुत्रः क्षत्रियायाश्च यो भवेत् । राजन्विशेषो नास्त्यत्र वर्णयोरुभयोरपि ॥
English Translation
The son born of the Kshatriya wife has been said to be equal in dignity to the son born of the Brahmani wife. For all that, a distinction attaches to the son of the Brahmana wife on account of the superiority of the Brahmana wife to the Kshatriya wife in respect of the order of caste.
न तु जात्या समा लोके ब्राह्मण्याः क्षत्रिया भवेत् । ब्राह्मण्याः प्रथमः पुत्रो भूयान्स्याद्राजसत्तम । भूयोऽपि भूयसा हार्यं पितृवित्ताद्युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
The Kshatriya wife cannot be considered as equal to the Brahmana wife in point of Birth. Hence, O best of kings, the son born of the Brahinani wife must be considered as the first in rank and superior to the son born of the Kshatriya wife.
यथा न सदृशी जातु ब्राह्मण्याः क्षत्रिया भवेत् । क्षत्रियायास्तथा वैश्या न जातु सदृशी भवेत् ॥
श्रीश्च राज्यं च कोशश्च क्षत्रियाणां युधिष्ठिर । विहितं दृश्यते राजन्सागरान्ता च मेदिनी ॥
क्षत्रियो हि स्वधर्मेण श्रियं प्राप्नोति भूयसीम् । राजा दण्डधरो राजन्रक्षा नान्यत्र क्षत्रियात् ॥
English Translation
All these have been ordained for the Kshatriya. The whole Earth, O king, encircled by seas, is seen to belong to him. By following the duties of his own caste, the Kshatriya acquires immense riches.
ब्राह्मणा हि महाभागा देवानामपि देवताः । तेषु राजा प्रवर्तेत पूजया विधिपूर्वकम् ॥
English Translation
The sceptre of royalty is held by him. Without the Kshatriya, O king, there can be no protection. The Brahmanas are highly blessed, for they are the gods of the very deities.
प्रणीतमृषिभिर्ज्ञात्वा धर्मं शाश्वतमव्ययम् । लुप्यमानाः स्वधर्मेण क्षत्रियो रक्षति प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
Following the ordinances laid down by the Rishis, the Kshatriyas should adore the Brahmanas according to due rites. This is the eternal usage.
दस्युभिर्ह्रियमाणं च धनं दाराश्च सर्वशः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां त्राता भवति पार्थिवः ॥
English Translation
Coveted by thieves and others, the properties of all men are protected by Kshatriyas following the duties of their order. Indeed, riches and wives and every other possession owned by people would have been forcibly taken away but for this protection that the Kshatriyas give.
भूयान्स्यात्क्षत्रियापुत्रो वैश्यापुत्रान्न संशयः । भूयस्तेनापि हर्तव्यं पितृवित्ताद्युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
The Kshatriya, as the king, becomes the protector or rescuer of all the castes. Hence, the son of the Kshatriya wife shall, forsooth, be held to be superior to him that is born of the Vaishya wife. The son of Kshatriya wife for this, takes a larger share of the paternal property than the son of the Vaishya mother.
उक्तं ते विधिवद्राजन्ब्राह्मणस्वे पितामह । इतरेषां तु वर्णानां कथं विनियमो भवेत् ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said You have duly said what the rules are that apply to Brahmanas. What, However, are the rules that apply to the others?
क्षत्रियस्यापि भार्ये द्वे विहिते कुरुनन्दन । तृतीया च भवेच्छूद्रा न तु दृष्टान्ततः स्मृता ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said The Kshatriya, O delighter of the Kurus can take two wives. The Kshatriya may take a third wife from the Shudra caste. Such practice prevails, it is true, but it is not sanctioned by the scriptures.
एष एव क्रमो हि स्यात्क्षत्रियाणां युधिष्ठिर । अष्टधा तु भवेत्कार्यं क्षत्रियस्वं युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
This should be the order, O Yudhishthira, of the wives of a Kshatriya. The property of a Kshatriya should, O king, be divided into eight shares.
क्षत्रियाया हरेत्पुत्रश्चतुरोंऽशान्पितुर्धनात् । युद्धावहारिकं यच्च पितुः स्यात्स हरेच्च तत् ॥
English Translation
The son of the Kshatriya wife shall take four of such shares of the paternal property. The son of the Vaishya wife shall take three of such shares.
वैश्यापुत्रस्तु भागांस्त्रीन्शूद्रापुत्रस्तथाष्टमम् । सोऽपि दत्तं हरेत्पित्रा नादत्तं हर्तुमर्हति ॥
English Translation
The remaining one or the eighth share shall be taken by the son of the Shudra wife. The son of the Shudra wife, however, shall take only when the father gives but not otherwise.
एकैव हि भवेद्भार्या वैश्यस्य कुरुनन्दन । द्वितीया वा भवेच्छूद्रा न तु दृष्टान्ततः स्मृता ॥
English Translation
The Vaishya can take only one wife. He can take a second wife from the Shudra caste. Such is the practice, no doubt, but it is not sanctioned by the scriptures.
वैश्यस्य वर्तमानस्य वैश्यायां भरतर्षभ । शूद्रायां चैव कौन्तेय तयोर्विनियमः स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
If a Vaishya has two wives one of whom is a Vaishya and the other a Shudra, there is a difference between them in respect of position.
पञ्चधा तु भवेत्कार्यं वैश्यस्वं भरतर्षभ । तयोरपत्ये वक्ष्यामि विभागं च जनाधिप ॥
English Translation
The riches of a Vaishya, O chief of Bharata's race, should be divided into five portions. I shall now speak of the sons of a Vaishya by a wife of his own caste and by one belonging to the inferior caste, as also of the manner in which, o king, his property is to be distributed among chose children.
वैश्यापुत्रेण हर्तव्याश्चत्वारोंऽशाः पितुर्धनात् । पञ्चमस्तु भवेद्भागः शूद्रापुत्राय भारत ॥
English Translation
The son born of the Vaishya wife shall take four of such shares of his paternal property. The fifth share, O Bharata, has been said to belong to the son born of the Shudra wife.
सोऽपि दत्तं हरेत्पित्रा नादत्तं हर्तुमर्हति । त्रिभिर्वर्णैस्तथा जातः शूद्रो देयधनो भवेत् ॥
English Translation
Such son, however, shall take when the father gives. He should not take anything unless the father gives it to him. The son who is begotten on a Shudra wife by persons of the three higher higher castes should always be considered as disentitled to any share of the father's wealth.
शूद्रस्य स्यात्सवर्णैव भार्या नान्या कथंचन । शूद्रस्य समभागः स्याद्यदि पुत्रशतं भवेत् ॥
English Translation
The Shudra should take only one wife from his own caste. He can, under no circumstances, take any other wife. Even if he happens to have a hundred sons by this wife, all of them share equally the property that he may leave behind.
जातानां समवर्णासु पुत्राणामविशेषतः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां समभागो धने स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
As for all the castes, the children born of the wife taken from the husband's own caste shall, it has been laid down, share equally the father's wealth.
ज्येष्ठस्य भागो ज्येष्ठः स्यादेकांशो यः प्रधानतः । एष दायविधिः पार्थ पूर्वमुक्तः स्वयंभुवा ॥
English Translation
The eldest son's share shall be greater than that of every other son, for he shall take one share than each of his brothers, comprising the best things of this father. This is the law of inheritance, O son of Pritha, as declared by the selfcreate himself. more
समवर्णासु जातानां विशेषोऽस्त्यपरो नृप । विवाहवैशेष्यकृतः पूर्वः पूर्वो विशिष्यते ॥
English Translation
Amongst children all born of the wife taken from the husband's own caste there is another difference, O king! In marrying, the elder ones should always prccede the younger ones.
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