Shloka 16
Adhyāya 174: Karma as an inescapable companion (कर्मानुगमन-उपदेश)
गौतमश्नापि सम्प्राप्प पुनस्तं शबरालयम् । शूद्रायां जनयामास पुत्रान् दुष्कृतकारिण:
Gautamaś cāpi samprāpya punas taṁ śabarālayam | śūdrāyāṁ janayāmāsa putrān duṣkṛtakāriṇaḥ ||
गौतम भी फिर शबरों के निवास-स्थान में जाकर रहने लगा; और एक शूद्रा स्त्री से उसने दुष्कर्म करने वाले पुत्र उत्पन्न किए।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical consequence of repeatedly returning to an undisciplined or unrighteous setting: one’s choices and associations can shape outcomes, including the character of one’s descendants, leading to the spread of wrongdoing.
Bhīṣma narrates that Gautama returned to the Śabara habitation and, with a Śūdra woman, fathered multiple sons described as duṣkṛtakāriṇaḥ—habitual wrongdoers—marking a turn toward morally problematic lineage and conduct.