Verse 9.184

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

श्रेयसः श्रेयसोऽलाभे पापीयान् रिक्थमर्हति ।
बहवश्चेत् तु सदृशाः सर्वे रिक्थस्य भागिनः ॥ १८४ ॥

śreyasaḥ śreyaso'lābhe pāpīyān rikthamarhati |
bahavaścet tu sadṛśāḥ sarve rikthasya bhāginaḥ || 184 ||

On the failure of each superior kind of son, each next inferior one is entitled to inheritance; if there be several of the same class, all shall share the property.—(184)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

(verses 9.182-201)

(No Bhāṣya available.)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“Kullūka and Rāghavānanda add that, as the son of Śūdra wife is enumerated among the twelve, and not considered, like the son of Kṣatriya and Vaiśya wives, a legitimate son, he inherits only on failure of all other subsidiary sons.”—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 552), which explains ‘Sadṛśāḥ’ as ‘equal in qualifications’;—in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī (pp. 555, 691 and 698);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavahāra 192a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (17.39, 81).—‘They quote the rule that the last mentioned six sons shall inherit the property of him who has no son mentioned among the first-mentioned six classes. Let the Sapiṇḍas or the subsidiary sons divide the heritage of him who has no son of the first-mentioned six kinds.’

Viṣṇu (15.28-29).—‘Among these sons, each preceding one is preferable to the one next in order;—and he takes the inheritance before the next in order.’

Yājñavalkya (2.132).—‘Among the sons, the succeeding one is entitled to offer the Ball and inherit the property only in the absence of the preceding one.’

Śaṅkha-Likhita (Vivādaratnākara, p. 552).—(Same as Manu.)

Bṛhaspati (25.39-41).—‘The other sons, beginning with the Kṣetraja, shall respectively take a fifth, a sixth and a seventh part. The adopted, the cast off, the bought, the appointed and the son by a Śūdra wife;—these, when pure by caste, and irreproachable in their conduct, are considered as sons of middle rank. The Kṣetraja is despised by the virtuous; and so are the son born of the re-married woman, the son of an unmarried damsel, the son received with the pregnant bride and the son secretly born.’

Hārīta (25.39-41).—‘Sons of the Śūdra wife, sons self-given and sons bought are all as had as the Śūdra-born.’