Shloka 68
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
संतानात् तव संतान मम विप्र भविष्यति । सक्तूनिमानतिथये गृहीत्वा सम्प्रयच्छ मे
santānāt tava santāna mama vipra bhaviṣyati | saktūn imān atithaye gṛhītvā samprayaccha me |
Le fils dit : «Ô brāhmaṇa éminent, par ta descendance j’obtiendrai une descendance ; c’est pourquoi tu es digne de ma plus haute révérence. Prends cette part de saktu qui m’appartient et offre-la à l’hôte, car honorer l’invité (atithi-satkara) est un devoir sacré.»
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores atithi-dharma (the duty of honoring a guest) and the ethical priority of offering one’s rightful share for a sacred obligation, while also expressing reverence toward a brāhmaṇa connected with the continuity of lineage.
A son addresses a brāhmaṇa, acknowledging him as highly venerable because the son expects to gain progeny through the brāhmaṇa’s lineage/connection, and he instructs him to take the son’s portion of saktu and offer it to an arriving guest.