Utkramaṇa-sthāna and Ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa: Yājñavalkya’s Instruction on Departure Pathways and Mortality Signs
त्वड्मांसं शोणितं चेति मातृजान्यपि शुश्रुम । एवमेतद् द्विजश्रेष्ठ वेदे शास्त्रे च पठ्यते
tvag-māṁsaṁ śoṇitaṁ ceti mātṛjāny api śuśruma | evam etad dvijaśreṣṭha vede śāstre ca paṭhyate ||
जनक बोले—त्वचा, मांस और रक्त—ये भी मैंने सुना है कि माता से उत्पन्न होते हैं। हे द्विजश्रेष्ठ, यही सिद्धान्त वेद और शास्त्रों में भी पढ़ा जाता है।
जनक उवाच
Janaka affirms a traditional, scripturally grounded account of bodily constituents, stating that skin, flesh, and blood are regarded as maternal in origin, and that this view is supported by Vedic and śāstric recitation.
In a didactic exchange in the Śānti Parva, King Janaka addresses a learned ‘dvijaśreṣṭha’ and cites what he has heard from authoritative sources (Veda and śāstra) about the origins of bodily elements, continuing a broader discussion on the nature of the body and inherited qualities.