Shloka 9
Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry
Mahābhārata 12.347
वेदश्रुति: प्रणष्टा च पुनरध्यापिता सुतै: । ततस्ते मन्त्रदा: पुत्रा: पितृत्वमुपपेदिरे
vedaśrutiḥ praṇaṣṭā ca punaradhyāpitā sutaiḥ | tataste mantradāḥ putrāḥ pitṛtvamupapedirē ||
Disse Nārada: A sagrada tradição védica—ouvida e transmitida—havia-se perdido, e então foi ensinada novamente por seus próprios filhos. Por isso, esses filhos—que se tornaram doadores de mantras—vieram a assumir o papel de pais, pois restauraram aos mais velhos o conhecimento pelo qual se sustenta a autoridade espiritual.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Spiritual authority is grounded in preserving and transmitting sacred knowledge; when sons restore lost Vedic learning to their elders, they earn a father-like status because they become the source of that sustaining wisdom.
Narada describes a situation where Vedic śruti had been forgotten; the sons re-taught it, and by becoming the bestowers of mantras they effectively assumed the role of fathers toward those they instructed.