13.049
putrapraṇidhiḥ
Dedication to the son.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
brūhi putrān kuruśreṣṭha varṇānāṃ tvaṃ pṛthakpṛthak। kīdṛśyāṃ kīdṛśāścāpi putrāḥ kasya ca ke ca te ॥13-49-1॥
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)
vipravādāḥ subahuśaḥ śrūyante putrākāritāḥ। atra no muhyatāṃ rājan saṃśayaṃ chettum arhasi ॥13-49-2॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
ātmā putras tu vijñeyas tasyānantarajaś ca yaḥ। niyuktajaś ca vijñeyaḥ sutaḥ prasṛtajaś tathā ॥13-49-3॥
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)
patitasya ca bhāryāyāṃ bhartrā susamavetayā। tathā dattakṛtau putrāvadhyūḍhaś ca tathāparaḥ ॥13-49-4॥
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)
ṣaḍapadhvaṃsajāścāpi kānīnāpasadāstathā। ityetete samākhyātāstān vijānīhi bhārata ॥13-49-5॥
O Bhārata, know that these six born of degradation and also the kānīna outcastes are thus named; recognize them as such. (13-49-5)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ṣaḍapadhvaṃsajāḥ ke syuḥ ke vāpyapasadāstathā। etatsarvaṃ yathātattvaṃ vyākhyātuṃ me tvamarhasi ॥13-49-6॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
triṣu varṇeṣu ye putrā brāhmaṇasya yudhiṣṭhira। varṇayośca dvayoḥ syātāṃ yau rājanyasya bhārata ॥13-49-7॥
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)
eko dvivarṇa evātha tathātraivopalakṣitaḥ। ṣaḍapadhvaṃsajāste hi tathaivāpasadāñśṛṇu ॥13-49-8॥
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)
caṇḍālo vrātyavenau ca brāhmaṇyāṃ kṣatriyāsu ca। vaiśyāyāṃ caiva śūdrasya lakṣyante'pasadāstrayaḥ ॥13-49-9॥
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)
māgadhō vāmakashcaiva dvau vaiśyasyōpalakṣitau। brāhmaṇyāṁ kṣatriyāyāṁ ca kṣatriyasyaika eva tu॥13-49-10॥
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)
brāhmaṇyāṃ lakṣyate sūta ityetepaśadāḥ smṛtāḥ। putrarato na śakyaṃ hi mithyā kartuṃ narādhipa ॥13-49-11॥
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)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
kṣetrajam kecidevāhuḥ sutaṃ kecittu śukrajam। tulyāvetau sutau kasya tanme brūhi pitāmaha ॥13-49-12॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
retajo vā bhavetputrastyakto vā kṣetrajo bhavet। adhyūḍhaḥ samayaṃ bhittvetyetadeva nibodha me ॥13-49-13॥
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)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
retojaṃ vidma vai putraṃ kṣetrajasyāgamaḥ katham। adhyūḍhaṃ vidma vai putraṃ hitvā ca samayaṃ katham ॥13-49-14॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
ātmajaṃ putram utpādya yaḥ tyajet kāraṇāntare। na tatra kāraṇaṃ retaḥ sa kṣetrasvāmino bhavet ॥13-49-15॥
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)
putrakāmo hi putrārthe yāṃ vṛṇīte viśāṃ pate। tatra kṣetraṃ pramāṇaṃ syān na vai tatra ātmajaḥ sutaḥ॥13-49-16॥
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)
anyatra kṣetrajaḥ putro lakṣyate bharatarṣabha। na hyātmā śakyate hantuṃ dṛṣṭāntopagato hyasau ॥13-49-17॥
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)
kaścic ca kṛtakaḥ putraḥ saṅgrahād eva lakṣyate। na tatra retaḥ kṣetraṃ vā pramāṇaṃ syād yudhiṣṭhira ॥13-49-18॥
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)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
kīdṛśaḥ kṛtakaḥ putraḥ saṅgrahādeva lakṣyate। śukraṃ kṣetraṃ pramāṇaṃ vā yatra lakṣyeta bhārata ॥13-49-19॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
mātāpitr̥bhyāṃ santyaktaṃ pathi yaṃ tu pralakṣayet। na cāsya mātāpitarau jñāyete sa hi kr̥trimaḥ ॥13-49-20॥
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)
asvāmakasya svāmitvaṃ yasmin sampratilakṣayet। savarṇas taṃ ca poṣeta savarṇas tasya jāyate ॥13-49-21॥
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)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
katham asya prayoktavyaḥ saṁskāraḥ kasya vā katham। deyā kanyā kathaṁ ceti tan me brūhi pitāmaha ॥13-49-22॥
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)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
ātmavat-tasya kurvīta saṁskāraṁ svāmivat-tathā। tyakto mātā-pitṛbhyāṁ yaḥ savarṇaṁ pratipadyate। tad-gotra-varṇatas-tasya kuryāt saṁskāram acyuta ॥13-49-24॥
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)
atha deyā tu kanyā syāttadvarṇena yudhiṣṭhira। saṃskartuṃ mātṛgotraṃ ca mātṛvarṇaviniścaye ॥13-49-25॥
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)
kānīnādhyūḍhajau cāpi vijñeyau putrakilbiṣau। tāvapi svāviva sutau saṃskāryāviti niścayaḥ ॥13-49-26॥
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)
kṣetrajo vāpyapasado ye'dhyūḍhāsteṣu cāpyatha। ātmavad vai prayuñjīran saṃskāraṃ brāhmaṇādayaḥ ॥13-49-27॥
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)
dharmaśāstreṣu varṇānāṃ niścayo'yaṃ pradṛśyate। etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi ॥13-49-28॥
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)
