Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)
उत्पादनमपत्यस्य जातस्य परिपालनम् | प्रीत्यर्थ लोकयात्राया: पश्यत स्त्रीनिबन्धनम्
utpādanam apatyasya jātasya paripālanam | prītyarthaṃ lokayātrāyāḥ paśyata strīnibandhanam ||
Bhishma bersabda: “Lihatlah ikatan yang dihadirkan para perempuan dalam kehidupan duniawi: melahirkan keturunan, memelihara serta melindungi anak yang telah lahir, dan menegakkan kelangsungan perjalanan rumah tangga demi kasih sayang dan kesinambungan masyarakat.”
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma highlights the household’s ethical and social continuity: procreation, the careful rearing of children, and the affectionate bonds that sustain lokayātrā (the ongoing course of worldly life).
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is explaining aspects of gṛhastha-life, pointing to women’s central role as a ‘bond’ that holds together family lineage, child-rearing duties, and the affectionate functioning of society.