Verse 9.161

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

यादृशं फलमाप्नोति कुप्लवैः सन्तरन्जलम् ।
तादृशं फलमाप्नोति कुपुत्रैः सन्तरंस्तमः ॥ १६१ ॥

yādṛśaṃ phalamāpnoti kuplavaiḥ santaranjalam |
tādṛśaṃ phalamāpnoti kuputraiḥ santaraṃstamaḥ || 161 ||

The man who tries to cross the gloom with the help of bad sons obtains results similar to those obtained by one who tries to cross the water with the help of unsound boats.—(161)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The ‘Kṣetraja’ and other sons having been mentioned along with the ‘legitimate’ son, people might think that all of them stand on the same footing; it is with a view to set aside this notion that the author adds this verse. The sense is that the ‘Kṣetraja’ and other ‘bad sons’ are not capable of rendering the same assistance that is rendered by the ‘legitimate’ son.

Even though the text does not mention anything definite, yet people have explained it to mean this, on the basis of the context. Others, however, have explained the ‘bad sons’ to mean ‘sons of unauthorised women.’

The sense is that even though people have these ‘had sons,’ they should not regard themselves as having sons, they should still continue to make efforts to obtain a ‘legitimate’ son.

‘Gloom’—of the other world, due to the man’s past misdeeds, in the shape of not having paid off the debts to his Pitṛs,—which could be cleared off only by moans begetting offspring.—(161)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī, (p. 701).