Shloka 97
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
स्वयमुत्पाद्य वै पुत्र॑ं सदृशं यो न मन्यते । तस्य देवा: श्रियं घ्नन्ति न च लोकानुपाश्चते,जो स्वयं ही अपने तुल्य पुत्र उत्पन्न करके उसका सम्मान नहीं करता, उसकी सम्पत्तिको देवता नष्ट कर देते हैं और वह उत्तम लोकोंमें नहीं जाता
svayam utpādya vai putraṁ sadṛśaṁ yo na manyate | tasya devāḥ śriyaṁ ghnanti na ca lokān upāśnute ||
Duṣyanta said: “He who, having himself begotten a son like unto himself, does not acknowledge him with due honor—of such a man the gods destroy prosperity, and he does not attain the higher worlds. Disowning one’s own offspring is thus a grave breach of duty, bringing both worldly loss and spiritual downfall.”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
A father’s dharma includes recognizing and honoring the child he has begotten; refusing to acknowledge one’s own son is portrayed as an ethical violation that results in loss of prosperity and failure to attain higher spiritual realms.
Duṣyanta states a moral principle relevant to lineage and royal duty: disowning a son one has fathered invites divine retribution—fortune is destroyed and the person is barred from higher worlds—underscoring the seriousness of accepting rightful offspring.