Shloka 54

Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)

Devanagari script

भरतभूषण नरेश! वैश्यके धनको पाँच भागोंमें विभक्त करना चाहिये। फिर वैश्या और शूद्राके पुत्रोमें उस धनका विभाजन कैसे करना चाहिये, यह बताता हूँ ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | vaiśyaputreṇa hartavyāś catvāro bhāgāḥ pitur dhanāt | pañcamas tu smṛto bhāgaḥ śūdrāputrāya bhārata ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଭରତନନ୍ଦନ! ବୈଶ୍ୟ ପିତାଙ୍କ ଧନରୁ ବୈଶ୍ୟା-ଜନ୍ୟ ପୁତ୍ର ଚାରି ଭାଗ ନେବା ଉଚିତ; ଏବଂ ହେ ଭାରତ, ଶୂଦ୍ରା-ଜନ୍ୟ ପୁତ୍ର ପାଇଁ ପଞ୍ଚମ ଭାଗ ସ୍ମୃତିରେ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ।

Word by Word

• वैश्यापुत्रेण: by the Vaiśya’s son
• वैश्यापुत्रेण: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्यापुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• हर्तव्या: is to be taken/should be taken
• हर्तव्या: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (हर्)
• Form: तव्यत् (gerundive/obligative), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• चत्वारः: four (parts)
• चत्वारः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भागाः: shares/portions
• भागाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धनात्: from the wealth
• धनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पञ्चमः: the fifth
• पञ्चमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• स्मृतः: is declared/remembered (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भागः: a share/portion
• भागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शूद्रापुत्राय: for the Śūdra’s son
• शूद्रापुत्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्रापुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• Vaiśya
• Śūdrā
• paternal wealth (pitur dhanam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma states a Smṛti-style rule for dividing a Vaiśya father’s property: four shares go to the son born of a Vaiśyā, while one share is allotted to the son born of a Śūdrā, presenting a graded inheritance scheme tied to social categories.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction, Bhishma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on legal-ethical norms, here specifying how paternal wealth should be apportioned among sons of different maternal status.