Shloka 13
च्यवन-कुशिक-संवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Hospitality, Service, and Lineage Questions
भीष्म उवाच रेतजो वा भवेत् पुत्रस्त्यक्तो वा क्षेत्रजो भवेत् अध्यूढ: समयं भिनत्त्वेत्येतददेव निबोध मे
bhīṣma uvāca | retajo vā bhavet putras tyakto vā kṣetrajo bhavet | adhyūḍhaḥ samayaṃ bhinattv ity etad eva nibodha me ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai raja, anak yang lahir dari benih sendiri memang anak sendiri. Demikian pula anak kṣetraja—yang lahir dalam rahim istri melalui pria lain demi keturunan—menjadi anak sang suami bila si pembenih telah melepaskan klaimnya. Pahami hal yang sama mengenai anak adhyūḍha: menurut perbedaan ‘samaya’ (kesepakatan/ketentuan adat), kedudukan dan hak dapat berubah.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sonship (and the attendant rights/duties) is determined by dharmic recognition and agreement: a biological son is straightforwardly one’s own, but in kṣetraja/adhyūḍha cases the decisive factor is whether the begetter renounces his claim and whether the governing agreement (samaya) is upheld or breached.
Bhishma is instructing the king on dharma concerning categories of sons and the legitimacy of lineage. He clarifies how retaja, kṣetraja, and adhyūḍha sons are to be regarded, emphasizing the role of consent, renunciation, and social/legal convention.