दायभागकथनम्The law of inheritance
Verse 116
देवार्थं दत्तकूपादौ तथा स्रोतस्वतीजले । पानाधिकारिणः सर्वे सेचनेऽन्तिकवासिनः ॥ ११६ ॥
dēvārthaṁ dattakūpādau tathā srōtasvatījalē | pānādhikāriṇaḥ sarvē sēcanē’ntikavāsinaḥ || 116 ||
Translation
In wells and the like given for the gods, and in river water, all have the right to drink; but to irrigate, those who live near.
Word by word
- dēva
- the gods
- arthaṁ
- for
- datta
- given
- kūpa
- wells
- ādau
- and the like
- tathā
- and
- srōtasvatī
- of a river
- jalē
- in the water
- pāna
- to drink
- adhikāriṇaḥ
- (adhikāriṇaḥ) have the right
- sarvē
- all
- sēcanē
- to irrigate
- antika
- near
- vāsinaḥ
- (vāsinaḥ) those living
Meaning
Drinking water is common to all; irrigation belongs to the neighbourhood.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
In the water of a well and the like given for the gods and in river water all have the right to drink, but the right to irrigate belongs only to those who live near: this he tells with "devārtham" and the rest. In a well and the like given for the gods, and likewise in the water of a river (srotasvatī), all have the right to drink; but in irrigating, only those who live near, close by, have the right. "Srotasvatī, dvīpavatī, sravantī, nimnagā, āpagā (a river)," says the lexicon.