History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.1012

v4.c63.1012

The word *dāya* has been used even in the oldest period of the Vedic Literature. Ṛg. II. 32. 4 (*dadātu vīraṁ śatadāyamukthyam*) has already been quoted above (on p. 388). In Ṛg. X. 114. 10 (*śramasya dāyaṁ vibhajantyehbhyaḥ*) the meaning of the word seems to be 'a share' or 'reward'. In the Tai. S. and the Brāhmaṇas the word dāya appears to be employed in the sense of 'paternal wealth' or simply 'wealth'. In the story of Nābhānediṣṭha¹⁰¹⁰ it is stated that Manu divided his *dāya* among (for) his sons' (Tai. S. III 1. 9. 4). That 'dāya' here stands for 'dhana' follows from another passage of the Tai. S. (II. 5. 2. 7) 'Therefore they distinguish (or establish) the eldest son by wealth'. In the Tāṇḍya Brāhmaṇa¹⁰¹¹ 16. 4. 3-5 also it is said 'Therefore whoever among (a man's) sons secures the best or major portion of wealth as *dāya*, him they regard as the son who would be the lord of all'. Another word viz. *riktha* occurring in the sūtra and smṛti literature is also employed in the Ṛgveda¹⁰¹² III. 31. 2 'the son of the body does not give to his sister the ancestral wealth, but makes her the receptacle for the son of her husband'. The word *dāyāda* (meaning a cosharer, one who takes a share) occurs frequently in the Vedic Literature. In the Tai. S. VI. 5. 8. 2¹⁰¹³ it is said 'Therefore women being destitute of strength take no portion (of Soma)