दायभागकथनम्The law of inheritance
Verse 7
दाये तूर्ध्वतनाज्ज्यायान् सम्बन्धोऽधस्तनः शिवे । अध ऊर्ध्वक्रमादत्र पुमान् मुख्यतरः स्मृतः ॥ ७ ॥
dāyē tūrdhvatanājjyāyān sambandhō’dhastanaḥ śivē | adha ūrdhvakramādatra pumān mukhyataraḥ smṛtaḥ || 7 ||
Translation
In inheritance, O Śivā, the descending relationship is greater than the ascending; and here, in the order first downward and then upward, the male is held to come first.
Word by word
- dāyē
- in inheritance
- tu
- but
- ūrdhvatanāt
- (ūrdhvatanāt) than the ascending
- jyāyān
- greater
- sambandhaḥ
- (sambandhaḥ) the relationship
- adhastanaḥ
- (adhastanaḥ) descending
- śivē
- O Śivā
- adha
- (adhaḥ) downward
- ūrdhva
- then upward
- kramāt
- (kramāt) in the order
- atra
- here
- pumān
- the male
- mukhyataraḥ
- (mukhyataraḥ) first
- smṛtaḥ
- (smṛtaḥ) is held
Meaning
Two more principles. Property passes first down the line, to descendants, before it rises to ancestors; and within that order men come before women. The commentary notes that "tu" limits this to inheritance: in salutation and honour the elder, ascending relation is the greater. "Adha-ūrdhva-krama", the order down-then-up, governs every case that follows.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
In taking an inheritance the descending relationship ranks before the ascending, and in the order downward then upward the male ranks before the female: this he tells with "dāye tu" and the rest. O Śivā, in inheritance, in wealth, the descending relationship, through those born below (descendants), is held greater, better, than the ascending relationship, through those born above (ancestors). By the word "tu" it is implied that in salutation and the like the ascending relationship alone is greater. Here in taking an inheritance, in the order first downward and then upward (adha-ūrdhva-krama), the male, the man, is held to stand first, to be the principal, before the woman.