Shloka 4
च्यवन-कुशिक-संवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Hospitality, Service, and Lineage Questions
पतितस्य तु भार्याया भर्त्रा सुसमवेतया । तथा दत्तकृतौ पुत्रावध्यूदक्ष तथापर:
patitasya tu bhāryāyā bhartṛā susamavetayā | tathā dattakṛtau putrāv adhyūdakṣa tathāparaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Quand bien même un homme serait déchu (de la conduite juste), si son épouse demeure convenablement unie à son mari, alors les fils—qu’ils soient issus d’une adoption/nomination rituelle (dattakṛta) ou d’une autre manière—doivent être tenus pour habilités aux rites et aux offrandes (telles les libations d’eau), comme dans les autres cas reconnus.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse addresses dharma concerning family and ritual continuity: even when the husband is ‘patita’ (fallen), if the marital union is duly maintained, sons recognized through accepted means (including adoption/authorized arrangements) remain qualified for essential ancestral rites such as the udaka-offering.
In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharmaśāstric norms. Here he clarifies the status of sons and their ritual eligibility in a household where the husband is considered fallen, emphasizing lawful marital association and recognized forms of sonship.