Shloka 18
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
Devanagari script
स्मृताश्न वर्णाक्षत्वार: पञचमो नाधिगम्यते । हरेच्च दशमं भागं शूद्रापुत्र: पितुर्धनात्,चार ही वर्ण बताये हैं, पाँचवाँ वर्ण नहीं मिलता। शूद्राका पुत्र ब्राह्मण पिताके धनसे उसका दसवाँ भाग ले सकता है
Transliteration
smṛtāś ca varṇāś catvāraḥ pañcamo nādhigamyate | haret ca daśamaṃ bhāgaṃ śūdrāputraḥ pitur dhanāt |
Translation
Bhishma said: “Tradition recognizes four social orders; a fifth is not admitted. If a son born of a Śūdrā woman is fathered by a Brāhmaṇa, he may take a tenth share of his father’s wealth.”
Word by Word
स्मृताःare declared/remembered
स्मृताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
चत्वारःfour
चत्वारः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचतुर्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
वर्णाःsocial classes (varṇas)
वर्णाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पञ्चमःa fifth (varṇa)
पञ्चमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपञ्चम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
अधिगम्यतेis found/obtained/recognized
अधिगम्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootअधि + गम् (धातु)
FormPresent, Passive, Third, Singular
हरेत्may take/should take
हरेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootहृ (धातु)
FormOptative, Parasmaipada, Third, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
दशमम्tenth
दशमम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootदशम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
भागम्share/portion
भागम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभाग
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
शूद्रापुत्रःson of a Śūdra woman
शूद्रापुत्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्रा + पुत्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पितुःof (his) father
पितुः:
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
धनात्from the wealth
धनात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootधन
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaV
varṇa (fourfold order)B
Brāhmaṇa (implied by the Hindi gloss)Ś
Śūdrā (Śūdra woman)F
father's wealth (inheritance)Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Sandhi Notes