Shloka 11
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
लक्षण्यं गोवृषो यान॑ यत् प्रधानतमं भवेत् । ब्राह्माण्यास्तद्धरेत् पुत्र एकांशं वै पितुर्धनात्
lakṣaṇyaṃ govṛṣo yānaṃ yat pradhānatamaṃ bhavet | brāhmaṇyās tad dharet putra ekāṃśaṃ vai pitur dhanāt ||
قال بهيشما: «وأيًّا ما كان أرفعَ ما يُعَدّ من العطايا المميِّزة—كالبقرة أو الثور أو المركوب—فليُفرِزِ الابنُ ذلك الشيءَ الأسمى لامرأة البرهمن (Brāhmaṇī)، آخذًا إيّاه نصيبَها المستحق من مال الأب.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dividing a father’s estate, the son should ensure a rightful portion is assigned, specifically setting aside the most eminent marked item (such as a cow, bull, or conveyance) as a due share for the Brāhmaṇa woman—emphasizing fairness, duty, and respect for dharmic claims.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, he lays down a rule about allocating property: among notable assets, the most principal one should be designated as a share for a Brāhmaṇa woman from the father’s wealth, guiding ethical distribution within the household.