Shloka 14
Nārada–Vāyu–Śalmali Upākhyāna: Enmity with the Strong and the Primacy of Buddhi (नारद-वायु-शल्मलि उपाख्यानम्)
बहुकल्याणमिच्छन्ति ईहन्ते पितर: सुतान् । तपसा दैवतेज्याभिरवरन्दनेन तितिक्षया
bahu-kalyāṇam icchanti īhante pitaraḥ sutān | tapasā daivatejyābhir avarandanena titikṣayā ||
毗湿摩说道：“父亲（亦即父母）竭力求得儿子，希冀由他带来丰厚的福祉。他们以苦行、祭奉诸天、恭敬礼拜与忍耐坚忍来求取——因为他们盼望，一旦儿子诞生，便能成为家族与血脉最上之善的源泉。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Parents seek children not merely for personal attachment but with the ethical hope of ‘kalyāṇa’—that the child will uphold dharma, continue the lineage responsibly, and become a source of welfare. The means emphasized—tapas (self-discipline), devotion, reverence, and titikṣā (forbearance)—are themselves virtues that shape the moral environment into which the child is born.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he explains why elders undertake religious and ethical disciplines: to obtain worthy offspring and to secure the highest good for the family through that offspring’s virtuous life.