Shloka 21
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
त्वय्यद्य पिण्ड: कीर्तिश्व कुलं चेदं प्रतिष्ठितम् । श्वो वाद्य वा महाबाहो गम्यतां पुत्र मा चिरम्
tvayy adya piṇḍaḥ kīrtiś ca kulaṃ cedaṃ pratiṣṭhitam | śvo vādyā vā mahābāho gamyatāṃ putra mā ciram ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Today, upon you rest the ancestral offerings, our good fame, and the very standing of this lineage. Therefore, O mighty-armed one—whether tomorrow or even today—set out, my son; do not delay.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person who bears family responsibility must uphold dharma through timely action—maintaining ancestral rites, protecting the family’s reputation, and sustaining the lineage’s stability; delay in such duties is ethically blameworthy.
The speaker urges a heroic son to depart without delay, stressing that the family’s ancestral obligations (piṇḍa/śrāddha), fame, and the very standing of the lineage depend upon him, so he should set out today or tomorrow.