Shloka 123

ज्येष्ठ-कनिष्ठ-धर्मः — Duties of Elders and Juniors

Anuśāsana-parva 108

Devanagari script

अपत्यमुत्पाद्य तत: प्रतिष्ठाप्प कुलं तथा

Transliteration

apatyam utpādya tataḥ pratiṣṭhāpya kulaṃ tathā

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Nachdem man Nachkommen gezeugt hat, soll man sodann die Familienlinie gebührend begründen und aufrechterhalten.“

Word by Word

• अपत्यम्: offspring, child
• अपत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्पाद्य: having produced
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + √पद् (उत्पादयति)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (causative base), having produced/caused to be born

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having established
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + √स्था (प्रतिष्ठापयति)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (causative base), having established/installed

• कुलम्: family, lineage
• कुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes gṛhastha-dharma: producing offspring is not the end of duty; one must also responsibly establish and sustain the family lineage through proper conduct, support, and continuity of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he states a household-oriented obligation: beget progeny and then ensure the stability and continuation of the kula.