Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
केन वा किं ततो हार्य पितृवित्तात् पितामह । एतदिच्छामि कथितं विभागस्तेषु य: स्मृत:
kena vā kiṁ tato hārya pitṛvittāt pitāmaha | etad icchāmi kathitaṁ vibhāgas teṣu yaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
«Oh Pitāmaha, ¿según qué regla y en qué medida debe tomarse de la riqueza del padre? Deseo oír de tus labios el reparto establecido que la Smṛti prescribe para estos casos.»
युधिछिर उवाच
That distribution of a father’s property is to be understood through dharma and Smṛti-based norms—inheritance is a regulated ethical duty, not merely personal desire.
Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance on righteous conduct, asks the elder authority (Bhīṣma) to explain the traditionally prescribed shares and rules regarding what a son should receive from his father’s wealth.