Sutra 13

Devanagari script

अपितृका बहवोऽपि च भ्रातरो भ्रातृपुत्राश्च पितुरेकमंशं हरेयुः ॥ कZ_०३.५.१३ ॥

Transliteration

apitṛkā bahavo 'pi ca bhrātaro bhrātṛputrāś ca pitur ekam aṃśaṃ hareyuḥ

Translation

Even if there are many heirs without a father, the brothers and the brothers’ sons shall take collectively only one share—the share that would have belonged to the father.

Word by Word

• अपितृकाः: fatherless (persons)
• Type: Noun (adjectival)
• Root: पितृ
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गः; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (a-pitṛka) ‘having no father’

• बहवः: many
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: बहु
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गः

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Particle
• Root: अपि
• Form: निपातः; ‘even/also’

• च: and
• Type: Conjunction
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• भ्रातरः: brothers
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गः

• भ्रातृपुत्राः: brothers’ sons (nephews)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ + पुत्र
• Form: प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गः; ‘brother’s sons’

• च: and
• Type: Conjunction
• Root: च
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• पितुः: of the father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गः

• एकम्: one (single)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गः; ‘one/single’ (qualifying अंशम्)

• अंशम्: share/portion
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचनम्, पुल्लिङ्गः

• हरेयुः: should take (inherit)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; ‘should take/should carry off’

Entities Mentioned

• brothers
• nephews (brothers’ sons)
• father’s share (pituḥ aṃśa)

More Details

FAQs

What is the administrative effect of making many collaterals take only ‘one share’ collectively?

It prevents excessive subdivision, keeps estates economically viable, and simplifies adjudication by treating a collateral group as a single successor-unit.