Shloka 28
कृपकृपी-जननम्
The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras
अपत्यं नाम लोकेषु प्रतिष्ठा धर्मसंहिता । इति कुन्ति विदुर्धीरा: शाश्व॒तं धर्मवादिन:
apatyaṃ nāma lokeṣu pratiṣṭhā dharmasaṃhitā | iti kunti vidur dhīrāḥ śāśvataṃ dharmavādinaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “In the worlds, offspring is indeed the enduring foundation of one’s standing—an establishment grounded in dharma. Thus, O Kuntī, the steadfast and wise, who ever speak for dharma, have always understood it: without children, even if a person performs sacrifices, gifts, austerities, and observances well in this world, those deeds are not regarded as fully sanctified.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that progeny is viewed as a dharma-grounded foundation of one’s enduring standing in society and tradition; without offspring, even well-performed religious acts are considered incomplete in their sanctifying effect, because continuity of lineage and dharmic responsibility is central to the householder ideal.
Vaiśampāyana addresses Kuntī and articulates a traditional dharmic valuation of having children, framing it as a perennial view held by wise teachers of dharma—setting an ethical and social rationale relevant to Kuntī’s situation and the broader dynastic concerns of the epic.