Shloka 17
अर्जुनस्य प्रतिघातः — श्रुताय्वच्युतायुवधः तथा गजसैन्यविदारणम्
Arjuna’s Counterstroke: Slaying of Śrutāyu and Acyutāyu; Breaking the Elephant Corps
पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथा: । अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमश्रि श्वैत्येत्युदाहरत्
putrāt puṇyataras tubhyaṃ mā putram anutapyathāḥ | ayajvān amadākṣiṇyam aśriśvaity ety udāharat |
নাৰদে ক’লে— তোমাৰ বাবে পুত্ৰতকৈও অধিক পুণ্যদায়ক কিবা আছে; সেয়ে পুত্ৰৰ বাবে শোক নকৰিবা। যি যজ্ঞ নকৰে আৰু যি দক্ষিণা নেদিয়ে, তাক ‘অযজ্বা’ আৰু ‘অদাক্ষিণ্য’ বুলি উদাহৰণস্বৰূপে কোৱা হয়।
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nārada redirects grief away from attachment to progeny and toward higher sources of merit: true spiritual welfare is linked to dharmic conduct—especially sacrificial duty and generosity (dakṣiṇā)—rather than merely having a son.
Nārada addresses someone lamenting a son and offers counsel: do not mourn, because there is a greater good than a son. He reinforces the point by invoking a traditional characterization of the spiritually deficient person—one who neither performs sacrifice nor gives the due gifts.