[world-vedic] preference for sons over daughters in vedas

[Guest guest]

Srini wrote:

"I would appreciate information on whether the Rig vedas or the later

vedas mention the importance of having sons over daughters. I would

also appreciate references of articles which may contain this information. "

 

Please read below.

ys mahesh

 

 

SB 4.13.31 T Description of the Descendants of Dhruva Maharaja

sadasas-pataya ucuh

nara-deveha bhavato

nagham tavan manak sthitam

asty ekam praktanam agham

yad ihedrk tvam aprajah

 

SYNONYMS

 

sadasah-patayah ucuh--the head priests said; nara-deva--O King; iha--in

this life; bhavatah--of you; na--not; agham--sinful activity; tavat

manak--even very slight; sthitam--situated; asti--there is; ekam--one;

praktanam--in the previous birth; agham--sinful activity; yat--by which;

iha--in this life; idrk--like this; tvam--you; aprajah--without any son.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The head priests said: O King, in this life we do not find any sinful

activity, even within your mind, so you are not in the least offensive. But

we can see that in your previous life you performed sinful activities due to

which, in spite of your having all qualifications, you have no son.

 

PURPORT

 

The purpose of marrying is to beget a son, because a son is necessary to

deliver his father and forefathers from any hellish conditional life in

which they may be. Canakya Pandita therefore says, putra-hinam grham sunyam:

without a son, married life is simply abominable. King Anga was a very pious

king in this life, but because of his previous sinful activity he could not

get a son. It is concluded, therefore, that if a person does not get a son

it is due to his past sinful life.

 

 

SB 9.20.22 T The Dynasty of Puru

 

reto-dhah putro nayati

naradeva yama-ksayat

tvam casya dhata garbhasya

satyam aha sakuntala

 

SYNONYMS

 

retah-dhah--a person who discharges semen; putrah--the son;

nayati--saves; nara-deva--O King (Maharaja Dusmanta); yama-ksayat--from

punishment by Yamaraja, or from the custody of Yamaraja; tvam--your good

self; ca--and; asya--of this child; dhata--the creator; garbhasya--of the

embryo; satyam--truthfully; aha--said; sakuntala--your wife, Sakuntala.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O King Dusmanta, he who discharges semen is the actual father, and his

son saves him from the custody of Yamaraja. You are the actual procreator of

this child. Indeed, Sakuntala is speaking the truth.

 

PURPORT

 

Upon hearing the omen, Maharaja Dusmanta accepted his wife and child.

According to Vedic smrti:

 

pun-namno narakad yasmat

pitaram trayate sutah

tasmat putra iti proktah

svayam eva svayambhuva

 

Because a son delivers his father from punishment in the hell called put,

the son is called putra. According to this principle, when there is a

disagreement between the father and mother, it is the father, not the

mother, who is delivered by the son. But if the wife is faithful and firmly

adherent to her husband, when the father is delivered the mother is also

delivered. Consequently, there is no such thing as divorce in the Vedic

literature. A wife is always trained to be chaste and faithful to her

husband, for this helps her achieve deliverance from any abominable material

condition. This verse clearly says, putro nayati naradeva yama-ksayat: "The

son saves his father from the custody of Yamaraja." It never says, putro

nayati mataram: "The son saves his mother." The seed-giving father is

delivered, not the storekeeper mother. Consequently, husband and wife should

not separate under any condition, for if they have a child whom they raise

to be a Vaisnava, he can save both the father and mother from the custody of

Yamaraja and punishment in hellish life.

 

740505NA.BOM Lectures

Krsna consciousness is so nice that if one gets Krsna consciousness, yam

labdhva caparam labham, aparam labham, any other benefit or gain is never

considered. This is so nice. We are hankering after getting this, that,

this, that, this, that, so many things. Dehi, dehi, dehi, dehi. But as soon

as you get Krsna consciousness, you will be satisfied. As Dhruva Maharaja

said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. He

was offered all benediction: "My dear Prahlada, whatever you like, you can

ask." He never asked anything. But he was so kind. That is the example of a

Vaisnava son in the family. Despite so much troubles given by his father,

still, he begged from Narasimhadeva, "My Lord, my father has committed so

many offenses. Kindly give him liberation." He did not ask anything for

himself. So Narahari, Nrsimhadeva, immediately said, "Why do you speak of

your father? Your father's father, his father, fourteen generations--all

liberated because a son like you is in this family." So this is the benefit.

If a son becomes a pure Vaisnava, devotee, he can deliver fourteen

generations. That is a special prerogative because he is born in a certain

family. So what we can give service to the family, nation, materially? If we

become devotee, we can give best service to the nation, to the family, to

the humanity. That is the philosophy.