Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 81
Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa
Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results
ददृशुः कृत्तिकास्तं तु बालार्कसदृशद्युतिम् । पुत्रं वै ताश्न तं बाल॑ पुपुषु: स्तन््यविस््रवै:
dadṛśuḥ kṛttikās taṃ tu bālārka-sadṛśa-dyutim | putraṃ vai tās tu taṃ bālaṃ pupuṣuḥ stanya-visravaiḥ ||
कृत्तिकाओं ने उस बालक को देखा, जिसकी कान्ति उदय होते सूर्य के समान थी। उसे अपना पुत्र मानकर उन्होंने स्तनों के दूध की धाराओं से उसका पालन-पोषण किया।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as compassionate responsibility: those who encounter a vulnerable being should protect and nurture it, even beyond biological ties. The Kṛttikās model selfless caregiving and the ethical duty to sustain life.
The Kṛttikās see a brilliantly radiant child, likened to the rising sun. They accept him as their son and raise him by feeding him with their breast-milk, establishing them as his foster-mothers.