13.049
पुत्रप्रणिधिः
Dedication to the son.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ब्रूहि पुत्रान्कुरुश्रेष्ठ वर्णानां त्वं पृथक्पृथक्। कीदृश्यां कीदृशाश्चापि पुत्राः कस्य च के च ते ॥१३-४९-१॥
O best of the Kurus, tell me about the sons of the classes, describing each separately; what kind they are, and also whose sons they are, and who they are. (13-49-1)
विप्रवादाः सुबहुशः श्रूयन्ते पुत्रकारिताः। अत्र नो मुह्यतां राजन्संशयं छेत्तुमर्हसि ॥१३-४९-२॥
Accusations against Brahmins, caused by the son, are heard very often. Here, O king, do not let us be deluded; you ought to resolve our doubt. (13-49-2)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
आत्मा पुत्रस्तु विज्ञेयस्तस्यानन्तरजश्च यः। नियुक्तजश्च विज्ञेयः सुतः प्रसृतजस्तथा ॥१३-४९-३॥
The son is to be regarded as oneself; his immediate successor also is to be known as such, as is one who is appointed, and likewise a son born from another. (13-49-3)
पतितस्य च भार्यायां भर्त्रा सुसमवेतया। तथा दत्तकृतौ पुत्रावध्यूढश्च तथापरः ॥१३-४९-४॥
If a wife is well-united with a fallen husband, and similarly in the case of adoption, a son not properly married, and likewise another, (13-49-4)
षडपध्वंसजाश्चापि कानीनापसदास्तथा। इत्येते ते समाख्यातास्तान्विजानीहि भारत ॥१३-४९-५॥
O Bhārata, know that these six born of degradation and also the kānīna outcastes are thus named; recognize them as such. (13-49-5)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
षडपध्वंसजाः के स्युः के वाप्यपसदास्तथा। एतत्सर्वं यथातत्त्वं व्याख्यातुं मे त्वमर्हसि ॥१३-४९-६॥
Who are the six born of decline, and who are the inferior ones as well? Please explain all this to me truthfully. (13-49-6)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
त्रिषु वर्णेषु ये पुत्रा ब्राह्मणस्य युधिष्ठिर। वर्णयोश्च द्वयोः स्यातां यौ राजन्यस्य भारत ॥१३-४९-७॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, among the three varṇas, those who are sons of a brāhmaṇa; and among the two varṇas, those two who should be of the kṣatriya, O Bhārata. (13-49-7)
एको द्विवर्ण एवाथ तथात्रैवोपलक्षितः। षडपध्वंसजास्ते हि तथैवापसदाञ्शृणु ॥१३-४९-८॥
Now, the one with two letters is thus indicated here. The six born of decline, they too, are inferior ones—hear about them. (13-49-8)
चण्डालो व्रात्यवेनौ च ब्राह्मण्यां क्षत्रियासु च। वैश्यायां चैव शूद्रस्य लक्ष्यन्तेऽपसदास्त्रयः ॥१३-४९-९॥
The outcaste, the two fallen ones (vrātya and vena), are observed as three degraded types among the offspring of a śūdra with brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya women. (13-49-9)
मागधो वामकश्चैव द्वौ वैश्यस्योपलक्षितौ। ब्राह्मण्यां क्षत्रियायां च क्षत्रियस्यैक एव तु ॥१३-४९-१०॥
Māgadha and Vāmaka are the two sons recognized as born of a Vaiśya; but of a Kṣatriya, only one son is recognized, whether from a Brāhmaṇa woman or a Kṣatriya woman. (13-49-10)
ब्राह्मण्यां लक्ष्यते सूत इत्येतेऽपसदाः स्मृताः। पुत्ररेतो न शक्यं हि मिथ्या कर्तुं नराधिप ॥१३-४९-११॥
A Sūta is observed as born from a Brāhmaṇa woman; thus, these are considered low-born. The seed of the son cannot indeed be made false, O king. (13-49-11)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
क्षेत्रजं केचिदेवाहुः सुतं केचित्तु शुक्रजम्। तुल्यावेतौ सुतौ कस्य तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१३-४९-१२॥
Some say the son is born of the field, while others say he is born of semen. Of these two sons, who is truly whose? Tell me that, O grandsire. (13-49-12)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
रेतजो वा भवेत्पुत्रस्त्यक्तो वा क्षेत्रजो भवेत्। अध्यूढः समयं भित्त्वेत्येतदेव निबोध मे ॥१३-४९-१३॥
A son may be born of semen, or, if abandoned, may be born of the field; if the wife marries another, breaking the agreement, know this only from me. (13-49-13)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
रेतोजं विद्म वै पुत्रं क्षेत्रजस्यागमः कथम्। अध्यूढं विद्म वै पुत्रं हित्वा च समयं कथम् ॥१३-४९-१४॥
We know that a son is born of semen, but how is the origin of a field-born (son)? We know a son is placed upon (the wife), but how is it when the agreement is abandoned? (13-49-14)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
आत्मजं पुत्रमुत्पाद्य यस्त्यजेत्कारणान्तरे। न तत्र कारणं रेतः स क्षेत्रस्वामिनो भवेत् ॥१३-४९-१५॥
If a man, having begotten his own son, abandons him for some other reason, then the cause is not the seed; that son does not belong to the owner of the field. (13-49-15)
पुत्रकामो हि पुत्रार्थे यां वृणीते विशां पते। तत्र क्षेत्रं प्रमाणं स्यान्न वै तत्रात्मजः सुतः ॥१३-४९-१६॥
O lord of men, when a man desiring a son chooses a woman for the sake of a son, there the field (womb) is the determining factor; indeed, the son born there is not truly his own son. (13-49-16)
अन्यत्र क्षेत्रजः पुत्रो लक्ष्यते भरतर्षभ। न ह्यात्मा शक्यते हन्तुं दृष्टान्तोपगतो ह्यसौ ॥१३-४९-१७॥
O best of the Bharatas, elsewhere a son born of the body is seen, but the self indeed cannot be killed, for it is established by this example. (13-49-17)
कश्चिच्च कृतकः पुत्रः सङ्ग्रहादेव लक्ष्यते। न तत्र रेतः क्षेत्रं वा प्रमाणं स्याद्युधिष्ठिर ॥१३-४९-१८॥
Sometimes, an adopted son is recognized only by adoption; there, O Yudhiṣṭhira, neither seed, nor womb, nor any other evidence is present. (13-49-18)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
कीदृशः कृतकः पुत्रः सङ्ग्रहादेव लक्ष्यते। शुक्रं क्षेत्रं प्रमाणं वा यत्र लक्ष्येत भारत ॥१३-४९-१९॥
What kind of son is an artificial one? He is recognized only by collection. O Bhārata, wherever semen, field, or measure may be observed. (13-49-19)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
मातापितृभ्यां सन्त्यक्तं पथि यं तु प्रलक्षयेत्। न चास्य मातापितरौ ज्ञायेते स हि कृत्रिमः ॥१३-४९-२०॥
If one observes someone completely abandoned on the road by his mother and father, and whose parents are not known, he is indeed an artificial (child). (13-49-20)
अस्वामिकस्य स्वामित्वं यस्मिन्सम्प्रतिलक्षयेत्। सवर्णस्तं च पोषेत सवर्णस्तस्य जायते ॥१३-४९-२१॥
Ownership of what has no owner should be properly determined; a kinsman should maintain it, and then the kinsman becomes its owner. (13-49-21)
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
कथमस्य प्रयोक्तव्यः संस्कारः कस्य वा कथम्। देया कन्या कथं चेति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥१३-४९-२२॥
O grandsire, tell me how this rite is to be performed, for whom and in what manner, how the maiden is to be given, and all this. (13-49-22)
भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhishma said.
आत्मवत्तस्य कुर्वीत संस्कारं स्वामिवत्तथा। त्यक्तो मातापितृभ्यां यः सवर्णं प्रतिपद्यते। तद्गोत्रवर्णतस्तस्य कुर्यात्संस्कारमच्युत ॥१३-४९-२४॥
O Acyuta, for one who is like oneself, the sacrament should be performed just as for a master. If someone is abandoned by both parents and is accepted into the same caste, then, according to his lineage and caste, the sacrament should be performed for him. (13-49-24)
अथ देया तु कन्या स्यात्तद्वर्णेन युधिष्ठिर। संस्कर्तुं मातृगोत्रं च मातृवर्णविनिश्चये ॥१३-४९-२५॥
Now, O Yudhiṣṭhira, the maiden should be given in marriage according to that caste; for performing the rite, the mother's lineage and the determination of the mother's caste should be considered. (13-49-25)
कानीनाध्यूढजौ चापि विज्ञेयौ पुत्रकिल्बिषौ। तावपि स्वाविव सुतौ संस्कार्याविति निश्चयः ॥१३-४९-२६॥
Kānīna and adhyūḍhaja sons are also to be regarded as sinful sons; yet, it is decided that even these two should be consecrated like one's own sons. (13-49-26)
क्षेत्रजो वाप्यपसदो येऽध्यूढास्तेषु चाप्यथ। आत्मवद्वै प्रयुञ्जीरन्संस्कारं ब्राह्मणादयः ॥१३-४९-२७॥
Brāhmaṇas and others should perform the purificatory rites for those born of the field or even the low-born who have been married, treating them as themselves. (13-49-27)
धर्मशास्त्रेषु वर्णानां निश्चयोऽयं प्रदृश्यते। एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥१३-४९-२८॥
The certainty regarding the classes is seen in the treatises on dharma. All this has been told to you. What more do you wish to hear? (13-49-28)
