Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 6
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
केन वा किं ततो हार्य पितृवित्तात् पितामह । एतदिच्छामि कथितं विभागस्तेषु य: स्मृत:
kena vā kiṁ tato hārya pitṛvittāt pitāmaha | etad icchāmi kathitaṁ vibhāgas teṣu yaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
“O Pitāmaha, sa anong tuntunin at gaano kalaki ang dapat makuha ng bawat anak mula sa yaman ng ama? Nais kong marinig mula sa iyong bibig ang itinakdang paghahati na inaalala sa Smṛti.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.