Shloka 13
च्यवन-कुशिक-संवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Hospitality, Service, and Lineage Questions
भीष्म उवाच रेतजो वा भवेत् पुत्रस्त्यक्तो वा क्षेत्रजो भवेत् अध्यूढ: समयं भिनत्त्वेत्येतददेव निबोध मे
bhīṣma uvāca | retajo vā bhavet putras tyakto vā kṣetrajo bhavet | adhyūḍhaḥ samayaṃ bhinattv ity etad eva nibodha me ||
毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，由自身之种所生的儿子，确是自己的儿子。同样，所谓‘田生子’（kṣetraja）——为续嗣之故，使他人在妻身中受胎而生——若那授种者已放弃其主张，此子便归为丈夫之子。关于‘阿提优陀子’（adhyūḍha）亦当作如是观：当旧约（samaya）被破除或被搁置，名分便随之转移。其伦理要旨在于：父权与权利并非仅由生物之种决定，而取决于被承认的同意、对权利的放弃，以及所遵循的社会契约。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sonship (and the attendant rights/duties) is determined by dharmic recognition and agreement: a biological son is straightforwardly one’s own, but in kṣetraja/adhyūḍha cases the decisive factor is whether the begetter renounces his claim and whether the governing agreement (samaya) is upheld or breached.
Bhishma is instructing the king on dharma concerning categories of sons and the legitimacy of lineage. He clarifies how retaja, kṣetraja, and adhyūḍha sons are to be regarded, emphasizing the role of consent, renunciation, and social/legal convention.