Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
मन्येत कृतकृत्यत्वं येन पुत्रेण धर्मपः । अन्यैः पुत्रशतैः किं वा वंशानुद्धारकारकैः
manyeta kṛtakṛtyatvaṃ yena putreṇa dharmapaḥ | anyaiḥ putraśataiḥ kiṃ vā vaṃśānuddhārakārakaiḥ
جس بیٹے کے سبب دھرم کے پالک اپنے آپ کو کِرتکِرتیہ (فرض پورا کرنے والا) سمجھے، پھر اور سینکڑوں بیٹوں کی کیا حاجت—اگرچہ وہ نسب کو سنبھالنے والے ہی کیوں نہ ہوں؟
Yama (implied by dharmapaḥ and narrative continuity)
Scene: A dharma-lord figure (as judge/guardian of righteousness) gazes upon a single virtuous son performing ancestral rites; behind them, a faint crowd of many sons fades, emphasizing ‘quality over quantity’.
FAQs
Quality of dharma outweighs quantity: one truly righteous son fulfills higher religious aims beyond mere continuation of lineage.
None is mentioned; this is a doctrinal statement within the story.
None directly; it emphasizes the ideal of dharmic sonship.