Shloka 12

Devanagari script

शेष तु दशधा कार्य ब्राह्मणस्वं युधिष्ठिर । तत्र तेनैव हर्तव्याक्ष॒त्वारों3शा: पितुर्धनात्‌

Transliteration

śeṣa tu daśadhā kārya brāhmaṇasvaṁ yudhiṣṭhira | tatra tenaiva hartavyāś catvāro 'ṁśāḥ pitur dhanāt ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “As for the remainder, O Yudhiṣṭhira, it should be arranged in ten portions as property belonging to the Brāhmaṇas. From that, the same person should take four shares from the father’s wealth.”

Word by Word

शेषःthe remainder

तुbut

दशधाinto ten parts / tenfold

कार्यःto be made / should be done

ब्राह्मणस्वम्the Brahmin’s property / what belongs to Brahmins

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

तत्रthere / in that matter

तेनby that / by him

एवindeed / only

हर्तव्याःto be taken / should be taken

चत्वारःfour

अंशाःshares/parts

पितुःof the father

धनात्from the wealth

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brāhmaṇas

father (pituḥ)

wealth/property (dhana)

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?

The verse emphasizes dharmic regulation of inheritance and wealth: remaining property is to be apportioned in a prescribed way, recognizing Brāhmaṇa entitlement (brāhmaṇasva) and specifying a rule of shares (four parts) to be taken from the father’s wealth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, he lays down a technical rule about how a remainder of property should be divided into ten portions as Brāhmaṇa property, and how a designated person is to take four shares from the paternal estate.