Shloka 54
अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति
Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence
स त्वं स्वयमभिप्राप्तं साभिलाषमिमं सुतम् | प्रेक्षमाणं कटाक्षेण किमर्थमवमन्यसे,“देखिये, आपका यह पुत्र स्वयं आपके पास आया है और प्रेमपूर्ण तिरछी चितवनसे आपकी ओर देखता हुआ आपकी गोदमें बैठनेके लिये उत्सुक है; फिर आप किसलिये इसका तिरस्कार करते हैं। चींटियाँ भी अपने अण्डोंका पालन ही करती हैं; उन्हें फोड़तीं नहीं। फिर आप धर्मज्ञ होकर भी अपने पुत्रका भरण-पोषण क्यों नहीं करते?
sa tvaṁ svayam abhiprāptaṁ sābhilāṣam imaṁ sutam | prekṣamāṇaṁ kaṭākṣeṇa kimarthaṁ avamanyase |
Disse Duṣyanta: “Este teu filho veio a ti por vontade própria, cheio de anseio. Ele te olha com um amoroso olhar de soslaio, desejoso de sentar-se no teu colo—por que, então, o desprezas? Até as formigas cuidam de seus ovos; não os esmagam. Como podes tu, que conheces o dharma, recusar sustentar e criar o teu próprio filho?”
दुष्यन्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses dharma as compassionate responsibility: a parent must not reject a child who seeks care and recognition; even creatures like ants protect their offspring, so a dharma-knower should certainly nurture and support his own child.
Duṣyanta addresses the mother (contextually Śakuntalā) about their son who has approached with affection and longing; he questions why the child is being treated with disregard and frames acceptance and upbringing of the child as a clear duty grounded in dharma.