Chapter 15

Vishnu Smriti 15

Now, there are twelve kinds of sons. // Vi_15.1 //

The aurasa, the son begotten by oneself on one's own lawfully wedded wife in one's own field, is the first. // Vi_15.2 //

The kṣetraja, the son begotten on an appointed wife by a kinsman or a man of a higher varṇa, is the second. // Vi_15.3 //

The putrikāputra, the son of an appointed daughter, is the third. // Vi_15.4 //

She who is given by her father with the declaration, "The son born of her shall be my son," is an appointed daughter (putrikā). // Vi_15.5 //

A daughter who has no brother, even if given without the rite of an appointed daughter, is considered an appointed daughter. // Vi_15.6 //

The paunarbhava, the son of a remarried woman, is the fourth. // Vi_15.7 //

A woman who, though not a virgin, is remarried is a punarbhū. // Vi_15.8 //

And also one who, though not remarried, was previously another's wife. // Vi_15.9 //

The kānīna, the son of an unmarried maiden, is the fifth. // Vi_15.10 //

He is begotten on an unmarried girl in her father's house. // Vi_15.11 //

And he belongs to the man who marries her. // Vi_15.12 //

The gūḍhotpanna, the son secretly born in the house, is the sixth. // Vi_15.13 //

He belongs to the man on whose wife he is begotten. // Vi_15.14 //

The sahoḍha, the son received with the bride, is the seventh. // Vi_15.15 //

He is the son of a woman who is married while pregnant. // Vi_15.16 //

And he belongs to the man who marries her. // Vi_15.17 //

The dattaka, the son given in adoption, is the eighth. // Vi_15.18 //

He is the one given by his mother and father. // Vi_15.19 //

The krīta, the son bought, is the ninth. // Vi_15.20 //

And he belongs to the one by whom he is bought. // Vi_15.21 //

The svayamupagata, the son who gives himself, is the tenth. // Vi_15.22 //

And he belongs to the one to whom he has given himself. // Vi_15.23 //

The apaviddha, the cast-off son, is the eleventh. // Vi_15.24 //

He is one abandoned by his father and mother. // Vi_15.25 //

And he belongs to the one by whom he is taken. // Vi_15.26 //

And the son begotten anywhere is the twelfth. // Vi_15.27 //

Of these, each preceding one is superior. // Vi_15.28 //

He alone is the heir to the inheritance. // Vi_15.29 //

And he shall support the others. // Vi_15.30 //

He shall perform the marriage rites for the unmarried daughters according to his own wealth. // Vi_15.31 //

Outcastes, the impotent, those with incurable diseases, and the disabled do not receive a share. // Vi_15.32 //

They are to be maintained by the heirs to the property. // Vi_15.33 //

And their aurasa sons are entitled to a share. // Vi_15.34 //

But not the son of an outcaste. // Vi_15.35 //

Nor those born immediately after the commission of an act causing loss of caste. // Vi_15.36 //

And those born of women in the reverse order of castes are not entitled to a share. // Vi_1_5.37 //

Their sons are also not entitled to a share in the paternal grandfather's property. // Vi_15.38 //

They are to be maintained by those who take a share. // Vi_15.39 //

He who takes the property is the one who offers the piṇḍa (ritual offering of a rice-ball). // Vi_15.40 //

Of women married to one man, the son of one is the son of them all. // Vi_15.41 //

And of brothers born of one father. // Vi_15.42 //

A son, even if he does not obtain his father's wealth, shall offer the piṇḍa. // Vi_15.43 //

Because a son (suta) rescues (trāyate) his father from the hell called Put, Therefore he is called putra by the Self-existent himself. || Vi_15.44 ||

A father settles his debt on his son and attains immortality, If he sees the face of his living, new-born son. || Vi_15.45 ||

Through a son one conquers the worlds, through a grandson one attains eternity, And through a son's grandson, one reaches the abode of the sun. || Vi_15.46 ||

In this world, no difference is found between a grandson and a daughter's son; For a daughter's son also saves a childless man, just like a grandson. || Vi_15.47 ||