Shloka 71
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
पितृन् ऋणात् तारयति पुत्र इत्यनुशुश्रुम । पुत्रपौत्रैश्न नियतं साधुलोकानुपाश्षुते
pitṝn ṛṇāt tārayati putra ity anuśuśruma | putra-pautraiś ca niyataṁ sādhūn lokān upāśnute ||
Người con nói: “Chúng con đã nghe theo truyền thống rằng con trai giải thoát tổ tiên khỏi món nợ đối với tổ tiên (pitṛ-ṛṇa). Quả thật, nhờ con và cháu mà con người chắc chắn đạt đến các cõi của bậc hiền thiện.”
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse affirms the dharmic idea of pitṛ-ṛṇa: one has an obligation to one’s ancestors, and producing and raising worthy progeny is presented as a means by which the ancestral line is sustained and the forefathers are ‘delivered’—i.e., supported in their posthumous welfare—leading the householder toward meritorious realms.
A son, speaking within the Ashvamedhika Parva context, cites received tradition (“we have heard”) to argue for the religious and ethical significance of having sons and grandsons, emphasizing their role in fulfilling ancestral obligations and securing attainment of righteous worlds.