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 ||
Para Kṛttikā menyaksikan anak itu, yang sinarnya laksana matahari yang baru terbit. Menganggapnya sebagai putra mereka sendiri, mereka menumbuhkan dan membesarkannya dengan mengalirkan air susu dari payudara mereka kepadanya.
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.