Shloka 7
Adhyaya 75 — The Fall and Restoration of Revatī Nakṣatra and the Birth of Raivata Manu
ततो विषण्णमनसा ऋतवागिदमुक्तवान् ।
अपुत्रता मनुष्याणां श्रेयसे न कुपुत्रता ॥
tato viṣaṇṇa-manasā ṛtavāg idam uktavān | aputratā manuṣyāṇāṃ śreyase na kuputratā ||
मग ऋतवाक् खिन्न मनाने म्हणाला—‘मनुष्यांच्या हितासाठी पुत्रहीनताच श्रेष्ठ; दुष्ट पुत्र मिळण्यापेक्षा।’
FAQs
The verse prioritizes quality of character over mere continuation of lineage. In dharma terms, progeny is a duty and blessing only when aligned with śīla; otherwise it becomes a source of pāpa and social harm.
Vaṃśānucarita with a didactic (nīti) insertion; still in service of Manvantara narration.
‘Son’ can be read as ‘one’s produced outcome’ (karma-phala). The teaching becomes: better to produce nothing than to produce harmful results—an inward warning about intention and ethical creativity.