Shloka 14
Varṇasaṃkara: Causes, Classifications, and Conduct-based Recognition (वर्णसंकरः—हेतु-जाति-आचारनिर्णयः)
अन्यत्र जामया सार्ध प्रजानां पुत्र ईहते । दुहितान्यत्र जातेन पुत्रेणापि विशिष्यते
anyatra jāmayā sārdhaṁ prajānāṁ putra īhate | duhitānyatra jātena putreṇāpi viśiṣyate ||
Bhishma menjelaskan: “Pada umumnya, demi kelangsungan keturunan, putralah yang diharapkan. Namun dalam keadaan tertentu, seorang putri—terutama bila telah diakui menjalankan kedudukan putra—dipandang lebih utama dalam hak dan martabat. Sekalipun kemudian lahir seorang putra, ia tetap menjadi ahli waris bersama dengan putri itu. Demikian pula, bila pilihannya adalah putra angkat, maka putri kandung sendiri dinilai lebih tinggi dalam klaim atas harta ayah.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma states that while a son is generally sought for lineage, there are exceptions where a daughter—especially one accepted as fulfilling the son’s role—can share or even take precedence in inheritance, and a biological daughter can be regarded as superior to an adopted son in claim.
In the Anushasana Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Bhishma is laying down nuanced rules about heirs and succession, clarifying exceptional cases involving a daughter treated as a son and comparisons between a natural daughter and an adopted son.