Putra-Bheda: Kṣetraja, Kṛtaka, Apasada, and Saṃskāra Determinations (पुत्रभेद-निर्णयः)
उत्पादनमपत्यस्य जातस्य परिपालनम् | प्रीत्यर्थ लोकयात्राया: पश्यत स्त्रीनिबन्धनम्
utpādanam apatyasya jātasya paripālanam | prītyarthaṃ lokayātrāyāḥ paśyata strīnibandhanam ||
उत्पादनमपत्यस्य जातस्य परिपालनम् । प्रीत्यर्थं लोकयात्रायाः पश्यत स्त्रीनिबन्धनम् ॥
भीष्म उवाच
Bhishma highlights the household’s ethical and social continuity: procreation, the careful rearing of children, and the affectionate bonds that sustain lokayātrā (the ongoing course of worldly life).
In Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is explaining aspects of gṛhastha-life, pointing to women’s central role as a ‘bond’ that holds together family lineage, child-rearing duties, and the affectionate functioning of society.