Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
मन्येत कृतकृत्यत्वं येन पुत्रेण धर्मपः । अन्यैः पुत्रशतैः किं वा वंशानुद्धारकारकैः
manyeta kṛtakṛtyatvaṃ yena putreṇa dharmapaḥ | anyaiḥ putraśataiḥ kiṃ vā vaṃśānuddhārakārakaiḥ
بمثل هذا الابن يرى ربُّ الدَّرما أنه قد أتمَّ كلَّ ما ينبغي إتمامه؛ فما الحاجة إذن إلى مئاتٍ من الأبناء الآخرين، وإن كانوا قادرين على إنقاذ السلالة وإدامتها؟
Yama (implied by dharmapaḥ and narrative continuity)
Scene: A dharma-lord figure (as judge/guardian of righteousness) gazes upon a single virtuous son performing ancestral rites; behind them, a faint crowd of many sons fades, emphasizing ‘quality over quantity’.
FAQs
Quality of dharma outweighs quantity: one truly righteous son fulfills higher religious aims beyond mere continuation of lineage.
None is mentioned; this is a doctrinal statement within the story.
None directly; it emphasizes the ideal of dharmic sonship.