How Elder and Younger Brothers Should Treat Each Other

Verse 1 (13.162.1)

कथं ज्येष्ठः कनिष्ठेषु वर्तेत भरतर्षभ । कनिष्ठाश्च यथा ज्येष्ठे वर्तेरंस्तद्ब्रवीहि मे ॥

kathaṃ jyeṣṭhaḥ kaniṣṭheṣu varteta bharatarṣabha | kaniṣṭhāśca yathā jyeṣṭhe varteraṃstadbravīhi me

How, O best of the Bharatas, should an elder brother behave toward his younger brothers, and how should the younger ones behave toward the elder? Tell me that.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads कथं ज्येष्ठः कनिष्ठेषु वर्तेत against CE 1a yathā jyeṣṭhaḥ kaniṣṭheṣu vartate (recension variant, Wikisource reading kept).

Verse 2 (13.162.2)

ज्येष्ठवत्तात वर्तस्व ज्येष्ठोसि हि तथा भवान् । गुरोर्गरीयसी वृत्तिर्या च शिष्यस्य भारत ॥

jyeṣṭhavattāta vartasva jyeṣṭhosi hi tathā bhavān | gurorgarīyasī vṛttiryā ca śiṣyasya bhārata

Behave as an elder, my child, for you are indeed the eldest. And, O Bharata, the conduct of a teacher carries great weight, as does the conduct a pupil owes him.

Verse 3 (13.162.3)

न गुरावकृतप्रज्ञे शक्यं शिष्येण वर्तितुम् । गुरौ हि सदृशी वृत्तिर्यथा शिष्यस्य भारत ॥

na gurāvakṛtaprajñe śakyaṃ śiṣyeṇa vartitum | gurau hi sadṛśī vṛttiryathā śiṣyasya bhārata

A pupil cannot deal rightly with a teacher who lacks understanding; for toward a teacher, O Bharata, a pupil's conduct must be of a fitting kind.

Note on the text: Line 1 as CE 13.108.3a; line 2 reads गुरौ हि सदृशी वृत्तिर्यथा शिष्यस्य भारत against CE 3c guror hi dīrghadarśitvaṃ yat tac chiṣyasya bhārata (recension variant, Wikisource reading kept).

Verse 4 (13.162.4)

अन्धः स्यादन्धवेलायां जडः स्यादपि वा बुधः । परिहारेण तद्ब्रूयाद्यस्तेषां स्याद्व्यतिक्रमः ॥

andhaḥ syādandhavelāyāṃ jaḍaḥ syādapi vā budhaḥ | parihāreṇa tadbrūyādyasteṣāṃ syādvyatikramaḥ

Even if a teacher is blind at a time of blindness, or dull, or even wise, one should tell him of whatever lapse of theirs there may be, but tactfully, so as to avoid giving offence.

Verse 5 (13.162.5)

प्रत्यक्षं भिन्नहृदया भेदयेयुर्यथाऽहिताः । श्रियाऽभितप्तास्तद्भेदान्नभिन्नाः स्युः समाहिताः । श्रियाऽभितप्ताः कौन्तेय भेदकामास्तथाऽरयः ॥

pratyakṣaṃ bhinnahṛdayā bhedayeyuryathā'hitāḥ | śriyā'bhitaptāstadbhedānnabhinnāḥ syuḥ samāhitāḥ | śriyā'bhitaptāḥ kaunteya bhedakāmāstathā'rayaḥ

Those whose hearts are divided may openly set them against one another, as enemies do. Scorched by prosperity, they would not be split by that division if they stayed united. Scorched by prosperity, O son of Kunti, enemies are likewise bent on causing division.

Note on the text: Removed a stray backtick before line 2. Line 1 reads यथाऽहिताः against CE 5a kṛtaṃ narāḥ (recension variant). Line 2 = CE star passage *0522_01 (after 13.108.5); line 3 = CE 5c.

Verse 6 (13.162.6)

ज्येष्ठः कुलं वर्धयति विनाशयति वा पुनः । हन्ति सर्वमपि ज्येष्ठः प्रायो दुर्विनयादिह ॥

jyeṣṭhaḥ kulaṃ vardhayati vināśayati vā punaḥ | hanti sarvamapi jyeṣṭhaḥ prāyo durvinayādiha

An eldest brother makes the family grow, or else destroys it; most often, through bad conduct, the eldest brother brings everything to ruin here.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads प्रायो दुर्विनयादिह against CE 6c kulaṃ yatrāvajāyate (recension variant, Wikisource reading kept).

Verse 7 (13.162.7)

अथ यो विनिकुर्वीत ज्येष्ठो भ्राता यवीयसः । अज्येष्ठः स्यादभागश्च नियम्यो राजभिश्च सः ॥

atha yo vinikurvīta jyeṣṭho bhrātā yavīyasaḥ | ajyeṣṭhaḥ syādabhāgaśca niyamyo rājabhiśca saḥ

But if an elder brother wrongs his younger brothers, he ceases to be the eldest, loses his share, and is to be restrained by the kings.

Verse 8 (13.162.8)

निकृती हि नरो लोकान्पापान्गच्छत्यसंशयम् । विफलं तस्य पुत्रत्वं मोघं जनयितुः स्मृतम् ॥

nikṛtī hi naro lokānpāpāngacchatyasaṃśayam | viphalaṃ tasya putratvaṃ moghaṃ janayituḥ smṛtam

A man who wrongs others goes, without doubt, to sinful worlds. His being a son is fruitless, and his father's begetting of him is remembered as in vain.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads विफलं तस्य पुत्रत्वं against CE 8c vidulasyeva tat puṣpaṃ (recension variant; the page's commentary records the CE-type reading as a variant).

Verse 9 (13.162.9)

पित्रोरनर्थाय कुले जायते पापपूरुषः । अकीर्तिं जनयत्येव कीर्तिमन्तर्दधाति च ॥

pitroranarthāya kule jāyate pāpapūruṣaḥ | akīrtiṃ janayatyeva kīrtimantardadhāti ca

A sinful man born in a family for the harm of his parents brings only disgrace, and hides away what fame there was.

Note on the text: Corrected पित्रोरनर्थायक → पित्रोरनर्थाय (misprint in Wikisource; the stray क is not a construable form here and makes the pāda nine syllables long; smallest fix). The CE verse 13.108.9 has a different first line (sarvānarthaḥ kule yatra jāyate pāpapūruṣaḥ); line 2 = CE 9c.

Verse 10 (13.162.10)

सर्वे चापि विकर्मस्था भागं नार्हन्ति सोदराः । ज्येष्ठोऽपि दुर्विनीतस्तु कनिष्ठस्तु विशेषतः । नाप्रदाय कनिष्ठेभ्यो ज्येष्ठः कुर्वीत वेतनम् ॥

sarve cāpi vikarmasthā bhāgaṃ nārhanti sodarāḥ | jyeṣṭho'pi durvinītastu kaniṣṭhastu viśeṣataḥ | nāpradāya kaniṣṭhebhyo jyeṣṭhaḥ kurvīta vetanam

All brothers of one womb who live by evil deeds are unfit for a share; the elder too, if ill-behaved, and the younger above all. An elder brother must not make use of the earnings without first giving to his younger brothers.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 10a; line 2 = CE star passage *0523_01 (after 10a); line 3 reads वेतनम् against CE 10c yautakam (recension variant; the page's commentary records यौतकम् as a variant).

Verse 11 (13.162.11)

अनुजस्य पितुर्दायो जङ्घाश्रमफलोऽध्वगः । स्वयमीहेत लब्धं तु नाकामो दातुमर्हति ॥

anujasya piturdāyo jaṅghāśramaphalo'dhvagaḥ | svayamīheta labdhaṃ tu nākāmo dātumarhati

For a younger brother his father's estate is like the reward of a wayfarer, nothing but weary legs; but what he has gained by his own striving he is not bound to give away against his will.

Note on the text: Wikisource reads अनुजस्य पितुर्दायो and स्वयमीहेत लब्धं तु against CE 11 anujaṃ hi pitur dāyo and svayam īhitalabdhaṃ tu (recension variants, Wikisource reading kept).

Verse 12 (13.162.12)

भ्रातॄणामविभक्तानामुत्थानमपि चेत्सह । न पुत्रभागं विषमं पिता दद्यात्कदाचन ॥

bhrātṝṇāmavibhaktānāmutthānamapi cetsaha | na putrabhāgaṃ viṣamaṃ pitā dadyātkadācana

Even if undivided brothers set to work together, a father should never give his sons an unequal share.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads कदाचन against CE 12c kathaṃ cana (recension variant).

Verse 13 (13.162.13)

न ज्येष्ठो वाऽवमन्येत दुष्कृतः सुकृतोऽपि वा । गुरूणामपराधो हि शक्यः क्षन्तव्य एव च ॥

na jyeṣṭho vā'vamanyeta duṣkṛtaḥ sukṛto'pi vā | gurūṇāmaparādho hi śakyaḥ kṣantavya eva ca

An elder is not to be despised, whether he has done wrong or done good; for the faults of elders can be borne, and ought to be forgiven.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads न ज्येष्ठो वाऽवमन्येत against CE 13a na jyeṣṭhān avamanyeta (recension variant). Line 2 = CE star passage *0524_01 (after 13a).

Verse 14 (13.162.14)

यदि स्त्री यद्यवरजः श्रेयः पश्येत्तदाचरेत् । धर्मार्थः श्रेय इत्याहुस्त्रयो ज्ञाता विधायकाः ॥

yadi strī yadyavarajaḥ śreyaḥ paśyettadācaret | dharmārthaḥ śreya ityāhustrayo jñātā vidhāyakāḥ

If even a woman or a younger brother sees the better course, one should follow it. The three who know and ordain say that the better course is the one that serves dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected यद्यवरज → यद्यवरजः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped visarga, CE avarajaḥ). Line 1 = CE 13c (तदा for tathā is a recension variant); line 2 reads धर्मार्थः श्रेय इत्याहुस्त्रयो ज्ञाता विधायकाः against CE 13e dharmaṃ hi śreya ity āhur iti dharmavido viduḥ (recension variant). Same CE verse number as the previous Wikisource verse, which holds CE 13a and the star line.

Verse 15 (13.162.15)

दशाचार्यानुपाध्याय उपाध्यायान्पिता दश । दश चैव पितॄन्माता सर्वां वा पृथिवीमपि । गौरवेणाभिभवति नास्ति मातृसमो गुरुः ॥

daśācāryānupādhyāya upādhyāyānpitā daśa | daśa caiva pitṝnmātā sarvāṃ vā pṛthivīmapi | gauraveṇābhibhavati nāsti mātṛsamo guruḥ

An upadhyaya outweighs ten acharyas, a father outweighs ten upadhyayas, and a mother outweighs ten fathers, or even the whole earth; she surpasses all in weight. There is no teacher equal to a mother.

Note on the text: Lines 1-2 = CE 14a, 14c; line 3 = CE 15a (Wikisource joins the three lines into one verse).

Verse 16 (13.162.16)

माता गरीयसी यच्च तेनैतां मन्यते गुरुम् । ज्येष्ठो भ्राता पितृसमो मृते पितरि भारत ॥

mātā garīyasī yacca tenaitāṃ manyate gurum | jyeṣṭho bhrātā pitṛsamo mṛte pitari bhārata

Because the mother is the weightiest, she is held to be the guru. After the father's death, O Bharata, the eldest brother is equal to a father.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads तेनैतां मन्यते गुरुम् against CE 15c tenaitāṃ manyate janaḥ (recension variant); line 2 = CE 16a.

Verse 17 (13.162.17)

स ह्येषां वृत्तिदाता स्यात्स चैतान्प्रतिपालयेत् । कनिष्ठास्तं नमस्येरन्सर्वे छन्दानुवर्तिनः ॥

sa hyeṣāṃ vṛttidātā syātsa caitānpratipālayet | kaniṣṭhāstaṃ namasyeransarve chandānuvartinaḥ

He is the one who must provide for them and look after them; the younger ones should all bow to him and follow his wishes.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 16c; line 2 = CE 17a.

Verse 18 (13.162.18)

तमेव चोपजीवेरन्यथैव पितरं तथा । शरीरमेतौ सृजतः पिता माता च भारत ॥

tameva copajīveranyathaiva pitaraṃ tathā | śarīrametau sṛjataḥ pitā mātā ca bhārata

They should live by him just as they would by a father. For these two, father and mother, create the body, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected मता → माता (misprint in Wikisource; CE mātā). Line 1 = CE 17c; line 2 = CE 18a.

Verse 19 (13.162.19)

आचार्यशिष्टा या जातिः सा सत्या साऽजरामरा । ज्येष्ठा मातृसमा चापि भगिनी भरतर्षभ ॥

ācāryaśiṣṭā yā jātiḥ sā satyā sā'jarāmarā | jyeṣṭhā mātṛsamā cāpi bhaginī bharatarṣabha

The birth that a teacher ordains is the true one, ageless and deathless. An elder sister is like a mother, O best of the Bharatas,

Note on the text: Line 1 reads आचार्यशिष्टा against CE 18c ācāryaśāstā (recension variant); line 2 = CE 19a.

Verse 20 (13.162.20)

भ्रातुर्भार्या च तद्वत्स्याद्यस्या बाल्ये स्तनं पिबेत् ॥

bhrāturbhāryā ca tadvatsyādyasyā bālye stanaṃ pibet

and so is a brother's wife, at whose breast one drank in childhood.

Note on the text: = CE 19c.