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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 ||

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഹേ പിതാമഹാ! ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ ധനവിഭാഗത്തെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള നിയമം നിങ്ങൾ വിധിപൂർവം പറഞ്ഞു. എന്നാൽ മറ്റു വർണങ്ങളുടെ ധനവിതരണത്തിന് എന്ത് നിയമമാണ് ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കേണ്ടത്?

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira
युधिष्ठिरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयुधिष्ठिर
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular
उक्तम्spoken; stated
उक्तम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootउक्त (वच्-क्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
तेto you
ते:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Form—, Dative, Singular
विधिवत्according to rule; duly
विधिवत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविधिवत्
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
ब्राह्मणस्यof a Brahmin
ब्राह्मणस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
पितामहO grandsire
पितामह:
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
इतरेषाम्of the other
इतरेषाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootइतर
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
तुbut; however
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
वर्णानाम्of the social classes (varnas)
वर्णानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootवर्ण
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
कथम्how?
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम्
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
नियमःrule; regulation
नियमः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनियम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
भवेत्should be; may be
भवेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
B
Bhīṣma (addressed as Pitāmaha)

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.