Shloka 14
परिक्षिद्वृत्तान्तप्रश्नः
Inquiry into Parīkṣit’s Conduct and the Beginnings of His Downfall
संतानं हि परो धर्म एवमाह पितामह: । लम्बतामिह नस्तात न ज्ञान प्रतिभाति वै,ब्रद्माजीका वचन है कि संतान ही सबसे उत्कृष्ट धर्म है। तात! यहाँ लटकते हुए हमलोगोंकी सुध-बुध प्राय: खो गयी है, हमें कुछ ज्ञात नहीं होता
santānaṁ hi paro dharma evam āha pitāmahaḥ | lambatām iha nas tāta na jñānaṁ pratibhāti vai ||
“Con cháu quả thật là dharma tối thượng—đó là lời Đấng Tổ Phụ đã tuyên. Nhưng, người thân mến, khi chúng tôi treo lơ lửng nơi đây, các giác quan gần như tắt lịm; chẳng có sự hiểu biết sáng tỏ nào hiện ra trong chúng tôi.”
तक्षक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a traditional ethical claim: sustaining lineage through progeny is regarded as a paramount duty (dharma), validated by revered authority (pitāmaha). It also cautions that distress and disorientation can obstruct discernment, even when one knows the principle.
Takṣaka speaks while he and others are in a precarious, suspended state (“hanging”), confessing that their mental clarity has faded. In that condition he recalls an authoritative maxim about progeny as the highest dharma, yet admits that, at present, knowledge does not clearly arise.