Shloka 46
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत अनुशासनपर्वके अन्तर्गत दानधर्मपर्वमें विवाहधर्मके प्रसंगमें स्त्रीकी प्रशंभानामक छियालीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | uktaṃ te vidhivad rājan brāhmaṇasya pitāmaha | itareṣāṃ tu varṇānāṃ kathaṃ vai niyamo bhavet ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô roi, ô Grand-père, tu as exposé en bonne et due forme la règle légale concernant le partage des biens d’un brāhmaṇa. Dis-moi maintenant : quelle règle doit s’appliquer aussi à la répartition des biens des autres ordres sociaux ?»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as procedure-bound and differentiated by social role: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks a consistent, rule-governed standard for inheritance/wealth-division not only for Brāhmaṇas but for all varṇas, emphasizing fairness through prescribed norms rather than personal preference.
In the Anuśāsana Parva dialogue, after Bhīṣma has described the proper rule for dividing a Brāhmaṇa’s wealth, Yudhiṣṭhira follows up with a clarifying question, requesting the corresponding regulations for the other varṇas.