History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s2.1.3

v1.c6.s2.1.3

The story of Śunaḥśepa in the Aitareya-brāhmaṇa (VII. 3) suggests that a son could be adopted even when there was an *aurasa* son. The Taittirīya-saṁhitā (VII. 1. 8. 1) tells the story of Atri who gave an only son in adoption to Aurva. The Kṣetraja son of the Dharma-sūtras is often referred to in the earliest Vedic literature. ‘What (sacrificer) invites you (Aśvins) in his house to a bed as a widow does a brother-in-law or a young damsel her lover’³². The Taittirī-yasaṁhitā makes it clear that a father could distribute his wealth among his sons during his own life time ‘Manu divided his property among his sons’ &c.³³ Another passage of the same *Saṁhitā* seems to suggest that the eldest son took the whole of the father’s wealth ‘therefore people establish their eldest son with wealth’³⁴. Even in the Vedic ages the son excluded the daughter from inheritance ‘a son born of the body does not give the paternal wealth to (his) sister’³⁵. A passage of the Taittirīya-saṁhitā is relied upon by ancient and modern writers on *dharmaśāstra* for the exclusion of women in general from inheritance ‘therefore women being destitute of strength take no portion and speak more weakly than even a low person’³⁶. The Ṛgveda eulogises the stage of studenthood and the Śatapathabrāhmaṇa speaks of the duties of the Brahmacārin such as not partaking of wine and offering every evening a *samidh* to fire³⁷. The Taittirīya-saṁhitā (VI. 2. 8.