In almost every country, people prefer to have a son rather than having a daughter. Almost everywhere, birth of a son is celebrated with great festivity. Even in ancient times, kings and able people perform Putreshti Yagya with a desire for a son. Our ancient scriptures abound with scores of such examples.
There are religious, social as well as economic reasons behind the desire of a son. Right from the moment of birth, a person is burdened with three kinds of debts. These are debts due for the gods, debts due for the sages and debts due for the father. One can easily free himself from his debts, which are due for the gods and for the sages. But to be free from the debts due for the father, one must have a son, preferably a physical son.
A shloka in Sanskrit says - PUM NARKAM TATASTRAAYATE ITI PUTRAH
One, who salves the father from the tortures of hell, is son. The scriptures say that unless and until a real son performs last rites, a person cannot be salved from the tortures of the hell. A son’s duties do not end with the last rites. He has to offer oblations regularly every year in order to appease his dead father and remote ancestors. Socially also, a person who has no son is seen with contempt. Even his wealth is plundered after his death if it had no inheritor. Moreover lineage of such a person ends blindly. Because of all these reasons, everybody longs for a son. It is a son who supports his parents in their retiring life when they become physically weak and frail.
There are religious, social as well as economic reasons behind the desire of a son. Right from the moment of birth, a person is burdened with three kinds of debts. These are debts due for the gods, debts due for the sages and debts due for the father. One can easily free himself from his debts, which are due for the gods and for the sages. But to be free from the debts due for the father, one must have a son, preferably a physical son.
A shloka in Sanskrit says - PUM NARKAM TATASTRAAYATE ITI PUTRAH
One, who salves the father from the tortures of hell, is son. The scriptures say that unless and until a real son performs last rites, a person cannot be salved from the tortures of the hell. A son’s duties do not end with the last rites. He has to offer oblations regularly every year in order to appease his dead father and remote ancestors. Socially also, a person who has no son is seen with contempt. Even his wealth is plundered after his death if it had no inheritor. Moreover lineage of such a person ends blindly. Because of all these reasons, everybody longs for a son. It is a son who supports his parents in their retiring life when they become physically weak and frail.
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