History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.251

v4.c63.t2.251

The Mit. states that the gotrajas are the paternal grandmother, the sapiṇḍas and samānodakas of the deceased. It then proceeds to say that the paternal grandmother is the first among gotrajas, then comes paternal grandfather. It paraphrases the word gotraja (born in the gotra) as *samānagotra* (having the same gotra) and then proceeds, 'on failure of the father's line (*santāna*) the heirs are the paternal grandmother, the paternal grandfather, the paternal uncles and their sons in order; on failure of the paternal grandfather's line the paternal great-grandmother, the paternal great-grandfather, his sons and son's sons inherit. In this manner must be understood the succession of sapiṇḍas belonging to the same gotra (as the deceased) up to the 7th degree'. According to the Mit. sapiṇḍa relationship extends up to the 7th degree (reckoned from and inclusive of the owner). Therefore the owner's sapiṇḍas for purposes of inheritance according to the Mit. are the owner's (1) 6 male descendants in the male line, (2) 6 male ascendants in the male line and the wives of the first three of them (that are expressly so declared, viz. mother, paternal grandmother and paternal great-grandmother) and probably the wives of the next three also; (3) the six male descendants of *each* of his six male ascendants in the collateral male lines. Besides, a man's wife and daughter are treated as his sapiṇḍas and the daughter's son, though a *bhinnagotra sapiṇḍa*, is placed high among the gotraja sapiṇḍa heirs.