Sarga-32
Religious duties of sons staying in joint and separate families: 1.32
Kusamba and his brothers pursued their religious activities independently. Marichi observes “If the eldest in a joint family performs a religious rite the benefit goes to them all”. This is confirmed by Manu and by Krishna in “Aswamedhikaparva”of the Mahabharata.
Narada also says, “There is a common religious duty for all the brothers living in an undivided family but when there is separation the religious duties must also be separately performed”. Gautama also agrees: “After separation, religious activities increase”.
Thus, when the brothers live separately their pursuing religious activities independently is justified but in this case when the father is alive, how can the sons act independently as they do not have the right to do so? Since Manu says, “One obtains this world by devotion to mother, the middle region by devotion to father and the Brahmaloka by devotion to one’s guru. To treat them with respect is like performing a religious rite. He who does not respect them, however, performs all other acts of piety in vain. So long the are alive, no religious performance is necessary unless, of course, they permit you to do one. Their service is the highest religion in its true form, the highest pernance. Anything else is only a subordinate dharma”.
Sons’ Right to Father’s Property:
Manu declares, “The ancestral property goes to all the sons equally after the death of the parents. While they are alive, they cannot claim it. Only three are without property, a wife, a slave and a son. Whatever they earn belongs to those to whomsoever they belong”. Therefore, it makes sense that the four sons of Kusha performed religious duties independently. Rama, too, gave portions of the kingdom to his and his brothers’ sons as is clearly stated in the Uttarakanda. This kind of division (and distribution) is not possible, however, in case of irreligious sons. Manu says, “The brothers engaged in activities inadmissible by dharma have no right to the wealth”.
Yajnavalkya and Bodhayana agree that a girl after maturity (menstru-ation) should wait for her father’s orders for marriage.
Sarga-32
Religious duties of sons staying in joint and separate families: 1.32
Kusamba and his brothers pursued their religious activities independently. Marichi observes “If the eldest in a joint family performs a religious rite the benefit goes to them all”. This is confirmed by Manu and by Krishna in “Aswamedhikaparva”of the Mahabharata.
Narada also says, “There is a common religious duty for all the brothers living in an undivided family but when there is separation the religious duties must also be separately performed”. Gautama also agrees: “After separation, religious activities increase”.
Thus, when the brothers live separately their pursuing religious activities independently is justified but in this case when the father is alive, how can the sons act independently as they do not have the right to do so? Since Manu says, “One obtains this world by devotion to mother, the middle region by devotion to father and the Brahmaloka by devotion to one’s guru. To treat them with respect is like performing a religious rite. He who does not respect them, however, performs all other acts of piety in vain. So long the are alive, no religious performance is necessary unless, of course, they permit you to do one. Their service is the highest religion in its true form, the highest pernance. Anything else is only a subordinate dharma”.
Sons’ Right to Father’s Property:
Manu declares, “The ancestral property goes to all the sons equally after the death of the parents. While they are alive, they cannot claim it. Only three are without property, a wife, a slave and a son. Whatever they earn belongs to those to whomsoever they belong”. Therefore, it makes sense that the four sons of Kusha performed religious duties independently. Rama, too, gave portions of the kingdom to his and his brothers’ sons as is clearly stated in the Uttarakanda. This kind of division (and distribution) is not possible, however, in case of irreligious sons. Manu says, “The brothers engaged in activities inadmissible by dharma have no right to the wealth”.
Yajnavalkya and Bodhayana agree that a girl after maturity (menstru-ation) should wait for her father’s orders for marriage.