Shloka 14
Nārada–Vāyu–Śalmali Upākhyāna: Enmity with the Strong and the Primacy of Buddhi (नारद-वायु-शल्मलि उपाख्यानम्)
बहुकल्याणमिच्छन्ति ईहन्ते पितर: सुतान् । तपसा दैवतेज्याभिरवरन्दनेन तितिक्षया,माता-पिता तपस्या, देवपूजा, नमस्कार और सहनशीलता या क्षमा आदिके द्वारा पुत्र प्राप्त करना चाहते हैं और प्राप्त हुए पुत्रोंसे परम कल्याण पानेकी इच्छा रखते हैं
bahu-kalyāṇam icchanti īhante pitaraḥ sutān | tapasā daivatejyābhir avarandanena titikṣayā ||
Bhishma disse: “Os pais (e os progenitores) esforçam-se por obter filhos, desejando por meio deles abundante bem‑estar. Buscam-no por austeridade, culto aos deuses, atos de reverente saudação e paciente resistência—pois esperam que, uma vez nascido o filho, ele se torne fonte do bem mais elevado para a família e a linhagem.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Parents seek children not merely for personal attachment but with the ethical hope of ‘kalyāṇa’—that the child will uphold dharma, continue the lineage responsibly, and become a source of welfare. The means emphasized—tapas (self-discipline), devotion, reverence, and titikṣā (forbearance)—are themselves virtues that shape the moral environment into which the child is born.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he explains why elders undertake religious and ethical disciplines: to obtain worthy offspring and to secure the highest good for the family through that offspring’s virtuous life.