दायभागकथनम्The law of inheritance
Verse 54
अधोगामिषु वित्तेषु पुमान् ज्यायानधस्तनः । ऊर्ध्वगामिधने श्रेष्ठः पुमानूर्ध्वोद्भवो भवेत् ॥ ५४ ॥
adhōgāmiṣu vittēṣu pumān jyāyānadhastanaḥ | ūrdhvagāmidhanē śrēṣṭhaḥ pumānūrdhvōdbhavō bhavēt || 54 ||
Translation
In wealth that goes downward the male born below ranks first; in wealth that goes upward the male born above is best.
Word by word
- adhaḥ
- downward
- gāmiṣu
- going
- vittēṣu
- in wealth
- pumān
- the male
- jyāyān
- ranks first
- adhastanaḥ
- (adhastanaḥ) born below
- ūrdhva
- upward; above
- gāmi
- going
- dhanē
- in wealth
- śrēṣṭhaḥ
- (śreṣṭhaḥ) best
- udbhavaḥ
- (udbhavaḥ) born
- bhavēt
- is
Meaning
The rule behind verses 53 and 55 stated generally: direction decides which males are preferred.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
But surely the departed man's father, being male and so better, and being alive, should take his wealth, and not his daughter-in-law, his daughter or his granddaughter? Removing this doubt he speaks in the two verses from "adhogāmiṣu" to "tatpitā". In wealth that goes downward the male born below, the descendant, is greater, better, not the one born above. But in wealth that goes upward the male born above is better.