Shloka 16
Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm
Varuṇa-loka Darśana
“जिनका शीलस्वभाव श्रेष्ठ है, जो ऊँचे कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए यशस्वी तथा कोमल अन्तःकरणवाले हैं; ऐसे लोगोंके कुलमें कन्याका उत्पन्न होना दुःखकी ही बात है ।। मातुः कुलं पितृकुलं यत्र चैव प्रदीयते । कुलत्रयं संशयितं कुरुते कन््यका सताम्,“कन्या मातृकुलको, पितृकुलको तथा जहाँ वह ब्याही जाती है, उस कुलको-- सत्पुरुषोंके इन तीनों कुलोंको संशयमें डाल देती है
mātuḥ kulaṃ pitṛkulaṃ yatra caiva pradīyate | kulatrayaṃ saṃśayitaṃ kurute kanyakā satām ||
Kaṇva said: “A daughter places three lineages in doubt—the mother’s family, the father’s family, and the family into which she is given in marriage. Thus, among the virtuous, her birth becomes a cause of anxiety, because questions of descent and continuity of the line arise around all three houses.”
कण्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a traditional concern of kula-dharma: marriage alliances and questions of descent can create uncertainty across multiple families. It reflects an ethical-social anxiety about lineage continuity and reputation among ‘sat’ (upright) households.
Kaṇva is speaking reflectively about the social consequences of a daughter’s marriage: because she moves from her natal home to another house, issues of affiliation and lineage are felt across the mother’s family, the father’s family, and the husband’s family.