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 ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: «Hoy descansan sobre ti las ofrendas a los antepasados, la buena fama y la propia firmeza de este linaje. Por eso, oh de poderosos brazos —sea mañana o incluso hoy— parte, hijo mío; no te demores».
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.