Book 3 (Concerning Law), Chapter VII: DISTINCTION BETWEEN SONS

MY preceptor says that the seed sown in the field of another shall belong to the owner of that field. Others hold that the mother being only the receptacle for the seed (mdtda bhastrda), the child must belong to him from whose seed it is born. Kautilya says that it must belong to both the living parents.

The son begotten by a man on his wife who has gone through all the required ceremonials is called aurasa, natural son; equal to him is the son of an appointed daughter (putrikdputra); the son begotten on a wife by another man, appointed for the purpose, and of the same gotra as that of the husband; or of a different gotra, is called kshetraja; on the death of the begetter, the kshetraja son will be the son to both the fathers, follow the gotras of both, offer funeral libations to both, and take possession of the immovable property (riktha) of both of them; of the same status as the kshetraja is he who is secretly begotten in the house of relatives and is called gudhaja, secretly born; the son cast off by his natural parents is called apaviddha and will belong to that man who performs necessary religious ceremonials to him; the son born of a maiden (before wedlock) is called kdnina; the son born of a woman married while carrying is called sahodha; the son of a remarried woman (punarbhátáyáh.) is called paunarbhava. A natural son can claim relationship both with his father and his father's relatives; but a son born to another man can have relationship only with his adopter. Of the same status as the latter is he who is given in adoption with water by both the father and mother and is called datta. The son who, either of his own accord or following the intention of his relatives, offers himself to be the son of another, is called upagata. He who is appointed as a son is called kritaka; and he who is purchased is called krita.

On the birth of a natural son, savarna sons shall have 1/3rd of inheritance while savarna sons shall have only food and clothing.

Sons begotten by Brahmans or Kshatriyas on women of next lower caste (anantardputrah) are called savarnas; but on women of castes lower by two grades are called asavarnas. (Of such asavarna sons), the son begotten by a Brahman on a Vaisya woman is called Ambashtha; on a Sidra woman is called Nishdda or Parasava. The son begotten by a Kshatriya on a Sidra woman is known as Ugra; the son begotten by a Vaisya on a Sidra woman is no other than a Sidra. Sons begotten by men of impure life of any of the four castes on women of lower castes next to their own are called Vratyas.

The above kinds of sons are called anuloma, sons begotten by men of higher on women of lower castes.

Sons begotten by a Sidra on women of higher castes are Ayogava, Kshatta, and Chanddla; by a Vaisya, Mdgadha, and Vaidehaka; and by a Kshatriya, Suita. But men of the, names, Suita and Mágadha, celebrated in the Purdnas, are quite different and of greater merit than either Brahmans or Kshatriyas. The above kinds of sons are pratiloma, sons begotten by men of lower on women of higher castes, and originate on account of kings violating all dharmas.

The son begotten by an Ugra on a Nishdda woman is called kukkuta and the same is called Pulkasa, if begotten in the inverse order. The son begotten by an Ambhashtha on a Vaidehaka woman is named Vaina; the same in the reverse order is called Kusilava. An Ugra begets on a Kshatta woman as vapdka. These and other sons are of mixed castes (Antardlas).

A Vainya becomes a _ Rathakdra, chariot-maker, by profession. Members of this caste shall marry among themselves.

Both in customs and avocations they shall follow their ancestors. They may either become Súdras or embrace any other lower castes excepting Chandadlas.

The king who guides his subjects in accordance with the above rules will attain to heaven; otherwise he will fall into the hell.

Offsprings of mixed castes (Antardlas) shall have equal divisions of inheritance.

* Partition of inheritance shall be made in accordance with the customs prevalent in the country, caste, guild (sangha), or the village of the inheritors.