Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90
अपुत्रत्वं वरं नृणां कुपुत्रात्कुलपांसनात् । त्यजेदेकं कुलस्यार्थे नीतिरेषा सनातनी
aputratvaṃ varaṃ nṛṇāṃ kuputrātkulapāṃsanāt | tyajedekaṃ kulasyārthe nītireṣā sanātanī
لِلرجالِ أن يكونوا بلا ولدٍ خيرٌ من ولدٍ خبيثٍ، رجسِ الأسرة. ولأجل مصلحة السلالة يجوز نبذُ واحدٍ؛ فهذه هي القاعدة الأزلية للدَّرما.
Skanda (narrating to Agastya, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A teacher-like elder pronounces an austere maxim: better no son than a wicked son; the scene is composed like a moral tableau—elder seated, listeners subdued, dharma-texts or ritual items nearby.
FAQs
Dharma prioritizes integrity over mere lineage continuation; a corrupt heir harms the family’s spiritual and social standing.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-centered teaching context.
None; it is a nīti (ethical maxim).