Verse 9.110

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

यो ज्येष्ठो ज्येष्ठवृत्तिः स्यान् मातैव स पितैव सः ।
अज्येष्ठवृत्तिर्यस्तु स्यात् स सम्पूज्यस्तु बन्धुवत् ॥ ११० ॥

yo jyeṣṭho jyeṣṭhavṛttiḥ syān mātaiva sa pitaiva saḥ |
ajyeṣṭhavṛttiryastu syāt sa sampūjyastu bandhuvat || 110 ||

If the eldest brother behaves as the eldest brother, he is like a mother, and like a father. If however he does not behave like the eldest brother, he shall be honoured simply as a kinsman.—(110)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Behaving like the eldest brother’ consists (1) in treating the younger brothers with love, like that towards a son,—(2) in supporting them and looking after their property, like his own, and (3) in preventing them from wrong acts?.

If he behaves otherwise, he should he honoured ‘like a kinsman,’—i.e., like the maternal or paternal uncle; i.e., the younger brothers shall stand up when they come up, and so forth. This means that they shall not be entirely subservient to his wishes.—(110)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 457), which adds the following notes:—The ‘behaviour of the eldest’ consists in lovingly maintaining and taking care of the youngers;—‘bandhuvat’, like the maternal uncle and other relations, he should be treated with respect, and saluted and so forth, and he should not be treated disrespectfully;—in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī (pp. 513 and 691);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavahāra 172a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.105-110)

See Comparative notes for Verse 9.105.