Shloka 145
आपद्धर्मनिर्णयः — विश्वामित्र-श्वपचसंवादः
Apaddharma Determination: Dialogue of Viśvāmitra and the Śvapaca
अर्थयुकत्या हि जायन्ते पिता माता सुतस्तथा
arthayuktyā hi jāyante pitā mātā sutastathā
Bhishma dijo: “En verdad, por la lógica del propósito y del beneficio llegan a existir los papeles de padre, madre y, del mismo modo, el de hijo—lo cual implica que estas relaciones no deben entenderse sólo por el nacimiento, sino por los deberes y fines significativos que están llamadas a cumplir.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes that family identities (father, mother, son) are not only biological labels; they are validated and made meaningful through artha-yukti—purposeful reasoning and the fulfillment of the duties and aims proper to each role.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. This line occurs within a didactic discussion where Bhīṣma frames social and familial relations in terms of their ethical function and intended purpose.