Shloka 10
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 85: Āṣṭaka–Yayāti संवादः
Merit-Exhaustion, Rebirth, and the Critique of Pride
तुर्वसो प्रतिपद्यस्व पाप्मानं जरया सह । यौवनेन चरेयं वै विषयांस्तव पुत्रक,(अब उन्होंने तुर्वसुको बुलाकर कहा--) तुर्वसो! बुढ़ापेके साथ मेरा दोष ले लो। बेटा! मैं तुम्हारी जवानीसे विषयोंका उपभोग करूँगा
turvaso pratipadyasva pāpmānaṃ jarayā saha | yauvanena careyaṃ vai viṣayāṃs tava putraka ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Turvasu, accept my sin together with my old age. My son, with your youth I shall indeed indulge in the objects of sense.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical tension: attempting to shift the consequences of one’s condition and moral burden onto another—especially a child—so as to pursue pleasure. It invites reflection on personal accountability, the proper limits of desire, and whether filial obedience can justify accepting another’s demerit.
A father addresses his son Turvasu and proposes that the son take on the father’s old age along with his ‘sin,’ while the father uses the son’s youth to enjoy worldly pleasures. It is part of the broader episode where the king seeks youth from his sons.