Shloka 7
Adhyaya 75 — The Fall and Restoration of Revatī Nakṣatra and the Birth of Raivata Manu
ततो विषण्णमनसा ऋतवागिदमुक्तवान् ।
अपुत्रता मनुष्याणां श्रेयसे न कुपुत्रता ॥
tato viṣaṇṇa-manasā ṛtavāg idam uktavān | aputratā manuṣyāṇāṃ śreyase na kuputratā ||
Entonces Ṛtavāk, con el ánimo abatido, dijo: «Para los hombres, es mejor para el bienestar no tener hijos, que tener un hijo malo».
FAQs
The verse prioritizes quality of character over mere continuation of lineage. In dharma terms, progeny is a duty and blessing only when aligned with śīla; otherwise it becomes a source of pāpa and social harm.
Vaṃśānucarita with a didactic (nīti) insertion; still in service of Manvantara narration.
‘Son’ can be read as ‘one’s produced outcome’ (karma-phala). The teaching becomes: better to produce nothing than to produce harmful results—an inward warning about intention and ethical creativity.