Sutra 50
वृद्धस्तु व्याधितो वा राजा मातृबन्धुकुल्यगुणवत्सामन्तानामन्यतमेन क्षेत्रे बीजमुत्पादयेत् ॥ कZ_०१.१७.५० ॥
vṛddhas tu vyādhito vā rājā mātṛbandhukulyaguṇavatsāmantānām anyatamena kṣetre bījam utpādayet
But if the king is aged or ill, he should secure the production of seed (an heir) in a suitable field (authorized consort), through one among: a maternal kinsman, a clan-relative, a man of proven merit, or a subordinate chief (sāmanta).
FAQs
To balance legitimacy (kin/clan links), capability (guṇavat), and political manageability (sāmanta), ensuring an heir acceptable to elite and administrative stakeholders.
It frames succession as an institutional necessity—continuity of sovereignty—handled through regulated, socially intelligible categories to minimize contestation.