Shloka 15
तुष्टासि यदि मे देवि वरमेतं वृणोम्यहम् । संतान परमो धर्म इत्याहुर्मा द्विजातय:,देवि! यदि आप प्रसन्न हैं तो मैं आपसे यह संतानसम्बन्धी वर ही माँगता हूँ; क्योंकि द्विजातिगण मुझसे बराबर यही कहते हैं कि “न्याययुक्त संतानोत्पादन (भी) परम धर्म है!
tuṣṭāsi yadi me devi varam etaṁ vṛṇomy aham | santānaḥ paramo dharma ity āhur māṁ dvijātayaḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “O Goddess, if you are pleased with me, I choose this boon: offspring. For the twice-born repeatedly tell me, ‘The begetting of righteous progeny is the highest dharma.’”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames righteous progeny (santāna) as a paramount duty within dharma, reflecting the social-ethical ideal that sustaining a lawful lineage through proper conduct is a major obligation, especially for a king and householder.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a goddess who is ready to grant a boon; he requests the boon of offspring, justifying it by citing the counsel of the twice-born, who emphasize progeny as a supreme form of dharma.