Shloka 13

Varṇasaṃkara: Causes, Classifications, and Conduct-based Recognition (वर्णसंकरः—हेतु-जाति-आचारनिर्णयः)

Devanagari script

ददाति हि स पिण्डान्‌ वै पितुर्मातामहस्य च । पुत्रदौहित्रयोरेव विशेषो नास्ति धर्मत:,दौहित्र अपने पिता और नानाको भी पिण्ड देता है। धर्मकी दृष्टिसे पुत्र और दौहित्रमें कोई अन्तर नहीं है

Transliteration

dadāti hi sa piṇḍān vai pitur mātāmahasya ca | putra-dauhitrayor eva viśeṣo nāsti dharmataḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Indeed, he offers the piṇḍas (funeral rice-balls) to his father and also to his maternal grandfather. From the standpoint of dharma, there is no distinction between a son and a daughter’s son.”

Word by Word

ददातिgives

हिindeed/for

सःhe

पिण्डान्funeral rice-balls (piṇḍas)

वैindeed/certainly

पितुःof (his) father / to the father (in śrāddha context)

मातामहस्यof the maternal grandfather / to the maternal grandfather

चand

पुत्रof a son

दौहित्रयोःof a daughter's son (grandson) (dual: 'of the two')

एवjust/only

विशेषःdifference/distinction

नnot

अस्तिis/exists

धर्मतःaccording to dharma / from the standpoint of dharma

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

pitṛ (father)

mātāmaha (maternal grandfather)

piṇḍa (funeral offering)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that, in dharma, a daughter’s son (dauhitra) is not inferior to a son regarding ancestral obligations: he can perform śrāddha duties such as offering piṇḍas, including for the maternal line.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma lays down a rule about ritual responsibility and kinship: the dauhitra offers piṇḍas to his father and to his maternal grandfather, showing parity between son and daughter’s son in religious duty.