Hindu Succession Act, 1956 · Chapter II: Intestate Succession · General
Section 10: Distribution of property among heirs in class I of the Schedule
The property of an intestate shall be divided among the heirs in class I of the Schedule in accordance with the following rules:―
Rule 1.―The intestates widow, or if there are more widows than one, all the widows together, shall take one share.
Rule 2.―The surviving sons and daughters and the mother of the intestate shall each take one share.
Rule 3.―The heirs in the branch of each pre-deceased son or each pre-deceased daughter of the intestate shall take between them one share.
Rule 4.―The distribution of the share referred to in Rule 3
(i) among the heirs in the branch of the pre-deceased son shall be so made that his widow (or widows together) and the surviving sons and daughters get equal portions; and the branch of his pre-deceased sons gets the same portion;
(ii) among the heirs in the branch of the pre-deceased daughter shall be so made that the surviving sons and daughters get equal portions.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 16 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.