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The Sacred Laws of the Âryas: Baudhâyana - Prasna II, Adhyâya 9
Kandikâ 16
1. (Now follows some) advice for him who is desirous of offspring.
2. The two Asvins have declared, that fame is gained by the procreation (of sons);
3. 'Performing acts which tend to prolong life and austerities, intent on the performance of the private recitation and of sacrifices, and keeping his organs in subjection, let him carefully beget offspring in his own caste.'
4. 'From his birth a Brâhmana is loaded with three debts; these let him pay. A prudent man is free from doubts regarding the sacred law.'
5. 'If he worships the sages through the study of the Veda, Indra with Soma sacrifices, and the manes of his ancestors through (the procreation of) children, he will rejoice in heaven, free from debt.'
6. 'Through a son he conquers the worlds, through a grandson he obtains immortality, but through his son's grandson he ascends to the (highest) heaven.' (All that) has been declared in the Veda.1
7. The Veda shows the existence of the three debts in the following (passage): 'A Brâhmana is born loaded with three debts; (he owes) the studentship to the sages, sacrifices to the gods, and a son to the manes;'2
8. Through the procreation of a virtuous son he saves himself.
9. He who obtains a virtuous son saves from the fear of sin seven in the descending line and seven in the ascending line, (viz.) six others (in each), himself being the seventh.
10. Therefore he obtains a reward if he begets issue.
11. Therefore he should sedulously beget offspring,3
12. Through the application of medicines and sacred texts.
13. The advice to him (who is intent on the procreation of children) is given in agreement with the revealed texts.4
14. For it produces results in the case of all the castes.
Footnotes
1. Vasishtha XVII, 5.
2. Vasishtha XI, 48. After this Sûtra the MSS. of the text insert the following corrupt passage: bandham rinamoksham pragâyâs kâyattam pitrînâm kânukarshasabdas ka pragâyâm darsayati | anutsannah pragâvân bhavati | yâ vad enam pragânugrihnîte tâvad akshayam lokam gayati. The commentary does not notice it, and it seems to me that it needlessly interrupts the context.
3. M. and K. add to this Sûtra, âtmanah phalalâbhâya, 'in order to gain a reward for himself.' The same two MSS., further, insert the following Sûtras: tasmât putram kotpâdyâtmânam evotpâdayatîti | vigñâyate kâtmâ vai putranâmâsîti | evam dvitîya âtmâ gîvatâ drashtavyo yah putram utpâdayati | sa tathâ bhavati | tasmân nâtmâ kvakid akshetra utsrashtavyah | âtmânam avamanyate hi | yathâtmânam utpâdayati sa tathâ bhavati | tasmâd âdita eva kshetram anvikkhet sarvavarne samskritam upadesena | tasmin dârasamyoge pragâm utpâdayed || 'Therefore (they say) that he who begets a son produces even his own self; and it is declared in the Veda, "Thou art self, called a son." Thus he who begets a son will see, during his lifetime, a second self. He becomes like him. Therefore one's own self must not be begotten on an unworthy female. For (he who does that) despises himself. He becomes even so, as he produces himself. Therefore (every man), each in his own caste, should first look out for a female who has been sanctified according to the injunction (of the sacred texts). Taking her to be his wedded wife, he shall beget a son.' It is possible that this passage really belongs to Baudhâyana, for it is written in the usual style of our Sûtra, and the last word of this passage as well as of Sûtra 11, as given in the Dekhan MSS., is utpâdayet. But it is not absolutely required by the context, and the commentary too omits it.
4. I read with M., whose reading is confirmed by the explanation given in the commentary, tasyopadesah srutisâmânyenopadisyate. The other MS. reads tasyopadesena, and in the text of the commentary the first word is left out.
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