Shloka 18
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
स्मृताश्न वर्णाक्षत्वार: पञचमो नाधिगम्यते । हरेच्च दशमं भागं शूद्रापुत्र: पितुर्धनात्,चार ही वर्ण बताये हैं, पाँचवाँ वर्ण नहीं मिलता। शूद्राका पुत्र ब्राह्मण पिताके धनसे उसका दसवाँ भाग ले सकता है
smṛtāś ca varṇāś catvāraḥ pañcamo nādhigamyate | haret ca daśamaṃ bhāgaṃ śūdrāputraḥ pitur dhanāt |
ସ୍ମୃତିରେ ଚାରିଟି ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ମାନ୍ୟ; ପଞ୍ଚମ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଗ୍ରାହ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ। ଶୂଦ୍ରା ନାରୀରୁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ପିତାଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଜନ୍ମିତ ପୁତ୍ର ପିତୃଧନର ଦଶମାଂଶ ନେଇପାରେ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a normative Smṛti-based framework: only four varṇas are recognized, and inheritance rights for a son from a mixed union (Śūdrā mother, Brāhmaṇa father) are limited to a defined fraction—one-tenth—reflecting rule-governed entitlement rather than equal succession.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma, including social and legal norms. Here he states a traditional classification of varṇas and specifies an inheritance rule concerning a son born of a Śūdrā woman with a Brāhmaṇa father.