Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 119
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
अथाब्रवील्लोकगुरुब्रह्मा लोकपितामह: । ममैव तान्यपत्यानि मम शुक्र हुतं हि तत्
athābravīl lokaguru-brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | mamaiva tāny apatyāni mama śukra hutaṃ hi tat ||
Then Brahmā, the preceptor of the worlds and the grandsire of all beings, spoke: “Those offspring are indeed mine alone; for that seed (śukra) was offered into me—indeed, it was an oblation.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts ultimate ownership and authority over progeny at the cosmic level: Brahmā claims the offspring as his, using sacrificial language to frame generation as a sacred offering, linking creation, legitimacy, and dharmic order.
In Vasiṣṭha’s narration, Brahmā intervenes and declares that certain beings/offspring belong to him, explaining their origin by stating that the generative essence (śukra) was offered into him like an oblation, thereby establishing their rightful lineage.