Shloka 10
उपवासविधि-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the Discipline of Fasting
जिस कुलमें पापी पुरुष जन्म लेता है
bhīṣma uvāca | sarve cāpi vikarmasthā bhāgaṃ nārhanti sodarāḥ | nāpradāya kaniṣṭhebhyo jyeṣṭhaḥ kurvīta yautakam |
Dalam keluarga mana pun seorang lelaki berdosa terlahir, dialah sebab segala kebinasaan: ia menodai garis keturunan dan memadamkan nama baiknya. Dan sekalipun mereka saudara kandung, siapa yang tetap bergelimang perbuatan durhaka dan melawan dharma tidak layak menerima bagian harta warisan. Sang sulung pun tidak boleh mengambil bagiannya dari harta leluhur sebelum terlebih dahulu memberikan jatah yang semestinya kepada adik-adiknya.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that inheritance is governed by dharma: persistent wrongdoers forfeit entitlement to a share, and the eldest must act justly by first allotting the younger brothers their due before taking or arranging his own portion—protecting both fairness and the family’s honor.
In Bhishma’s instruction on righteous conduct and social order, he lays down a rule about division of ancestral property among brothers, linking moral character (vikarma) with legal/ethical entitlement and warning that a sinner can bring disgrace and ruin upon an entire lineage.