Mahabharata · 1.145.36–37
॥
Devanāgarī
मन्यन्ते के चिद् अधिकं स्नेहं पुत्रे पितुर् नराः ॥
कन्यायां नैव तु पुनर् मम तुल्याव् उभौ मतौ ॥
यस्मिंल् लोकाः प्रसूतिश् च स्थिता नित्यम् अथो सुखम् ॥
अपापां ताम् अहं बालां कथम् उत्स्रष्टुम् उत्सहे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
manyante ke cid adhikaṃ snehaṃ putre pitur narāḥ ||
kanyāyāṃ naiva tu punar mama tulyāv ubhau matau ||
yasmiṃl lokāḥ prasūtiś ca sthitā nityam atho sukham ||
apāpāṃ tām ahaṃ bālāṃ katham utsraṣṭum utsahe ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मन्यन्ते के चित् अधिकं स्नेहं पुत्रे पितुः नराःmanyante ke cit adhikaṃ snehaṃ putre pituḥ narāḥSome people think that a father's love for a son is greater,
कन्यायां न एव तु पुनः मम तुल्यौ उभौ मतौkanyāyāṃ na eva tu punaḥ mama tulyau ubhau mataubut not for a daughter; to me, however, both are equal;
यस्मिन् लोकाः प्रसूतिः च स्थिता नित्यम् अथो सुखम्yasmin lokāḥ prasūtiḥ ca sthitā nityam atho sukham[she] in whom worlds, offspring, and lasting happiness are established --
अपापां ताम् अहं बालां कथम् उत्स्रष्टुम् उत्सहेapāpāṃ tām ahaṃ bālāṃ katham utsraṣṭum utsahethat innocent little girl -- how shall I dare to cast her off?
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितुर्pituroriginal form "pitur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैवnaivaoriginal form "naiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुल्याव्tulyāvoriginal form "tulyāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यस्मिंल्yasmiṃloriginal form "yasmiṃl", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रसूतिश्prasūtiśoriginal form "prasūtiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Some people think that a father's love for a son is greater than for a daughter; but to me the two are equal. That innocent little girl, in whom worlds, offspring, and lasting happiness are established -- how shall I dare to cast her off?
Version
157ed2767b4d · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the brahmin displays a love that knows no partiality. Telling is his direct rejection of the common preference for a son: "to me the two are equal" -- a father's heart does not divide its children by sex. Here is the nobility of impartial love: true affection does not weigh which child is more useful, but loves the child for its own sake. Telling too is the worth he ascribes to his daughter -- in her, "worlds, offspring, and happiness." Thus the scripture shows that the righteous rise above the prejudice of their age; and equal love for a daughter is the measure of true, rather than self-serving, fatherhood.