Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

केन वा किं ततो हार्य पितृवित्तात्‌ पितामह । एतदिच्छामि कथितं विभागस्तेषु य: स्मृत:

Transliteration

kena vā kiṁ tato hārya pitṛvittāt pitāmaha | etad icchāmi kathitaṁ vibhāgas teṣu yaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ପିତାମହ! କେଉଁ ନିୟମରେ, ଏବଂ ପିତୃଧନରୁ କେଉଁ ପୁତ୍ରକୁ କେତେ ଭାଗ ମିଳିବା ଉଚିତ? ସ୍ମୃତିରେ ଯେ ବିଭାଗ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଧାରିତ, ତାହା ଆପଣଙ୍କ ମୁଖରୁ ଶୁଣିବାକୁ ଇଚ୍ଛା କରୁଛି।

Word by Word

• केन: by whom/with what
• केन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• हार्य: O Har(y)a (proper name/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हार्य
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पितृवित्तात्: from the father's wealth
• पितृवित्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृवित्त
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पितामह: O grandfather
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथितम्: told/said (as a thing to be told)
• कथितम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: कथित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विभागः: the division/share-allotment
• विभागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेषु: among them/for them
• तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• यः: which/that (share)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is prescribed/remembered (in tradition)
• Type: Participle
• Root: स्मृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पितामह: O grandfather
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• pitṛ-vitta (father’s wealth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That distribution of a father’s property is to be understood through dharma and Smṛti-based norms—inheritance is a regulated ethical duty, not merely personal desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance on righteous conduct, asks the elder authority (Bhīṣma) to explain the traditionally prescribed shares and rules regarding what a son should receive from his father’s wealth.