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 ||
儿子说道：“我们在传承中听闻：儿子能使先祖脱离对祖灵所负之债（pitṛ-ṛṇa）。确然，凭借子与孙，人必定得至善人之界。”
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.