Shloka 145

आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः

Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca

Devanagari script

अर्थयुकत्या हि जायन्ते पिता माता सुतस्तथा

Transliteration

arthayuktyā hi jāyante pitā mātā sutastathā

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Wahrlich, aus der Logik von Zweck und Nutzen entstehen die Rollen von Vater, Mutter und ebenso die des Sohnes—was besagt, dass solche Beziehungen nicht nur durch Geburt zu verstehen sind, sondern durch die sinnvollen Pflichten und Ziele, die sie zu erfüllen haben.“

Word by Word

अर्थयुक्त्याby/through reasoning (logical argument)

हिindeed/for

जायन्तेare born / come into being

पिताfather

माताmother

सुतःson/child

तथाlikewise/so too

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

father

mother

son

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that family identities (father, mother, son) are not only biological labels; they are validated and made meaningful through artha-yukti—purposeful reasoning and the fulfillment of the duties and aims proper to each role.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. This line occurs within a didactic discussion where Bhīṣma frames social and familial relations in terms of their ethical function and intended purpose.