Today's Subhashita.

एकेनापि विनीतेन सुतेनोद्धियते  कुलं |
गंगावतारणापारप्रथं   पश्य   भगीरथं  ||

अर्थ -       अनेक पुत्रों की तुलना में  यदि मात्र एक ही योग्य और विनीत पुत्र हो तो वह् अपने कुल का उद्धार करने मे सक्षम होता है |  देखो किस प्रकार राजा भगीरथ ने  स्वर्ग से पृथ्वी पर पुण्यसलिला गंगा नदी का अवतरण करा कर अपने कुल का उद्धार कर अपार यश और प्रसिद्धि प्राप्त की थी |

(इस सुभाषित में पुराणों में  वर्णित गंगा नदी के पृथ्वी में   अवतरण की कथा के संदर्भ द्वारा अनेक साधारण  संतानों के स्थान पर एक ही  योग्य संतान होने के महत्व  को प्रतिपादित किया है जो अपने कुल की परम्परा और् प्रसिद्धि में  वृद्धि कर यशस्वती और जगत् प्रसिद्ध हो जाता है.  राजा सगर के 60000 पुत्र थे.जिन्हें कपिल  ऋषि ने शाप दे कर  भस्म कर दिया था | उनके उद्धार के लिये राजा सगर के उत्तराधिकारी  राजा भगीरथ ने तपस्या  कर भगवान  विष्णु  को प्रसन्न कर उनसे पुण्यसलिला गंगा नदी को पृथ्वी पर भेजने का अनुरोध  किया तथा सागर तट पर भस्म हुए अपने पूर्वजों को वहां गंगा को लेजा कर उन्हें मुक्ति दिलाई | अभी भी  कोई व्यक्ति समाज के हित में  यदि कोई कठिन कार्य सम्पन्न करता है तो इसे  "भगीरथ प्रयत्न " कहा जाता है | )

Ekenaapi vineeten sutenoddhiyate kulam.

Gangaavataaranaapaarapratham Pashya Bhageerathaam.

Ekenaapi = even having only one.    Vineeten = by a  humble and accomplished ...

Sutenoddhiyate = sutena + uddhiyate.     Sutena =  bya son.    Uddhiyate = elevates, redeems.

Kulam = family dynasty.     Gangavataaranaapaarapraytham = Ganga +avatarana +apaar+pratham.

Ganga = the sacred river Ganges.    Avataaran = descending (from Heaven).   Apaar = boundless,eminent.

Prathm = become well known  as a celebrity.     Pashya = look at, behold.   Bhagirath = name of a King.

i.e.      If instead of having a number of ordinary sons, a person  has only one humble and accomplished son, he is competent enough to redeem  and perpetuate the name and fame of his family.  Behold, as to what King Bhagirath did for his family by bringing the sacred river Ganges from the Heaven for redeeming his ancestors and has become a celebrity.

(In this Subhashita the author has stressed the desirability of having just one humble and accomplished son rather than having a number of incompetent sons, by citing the legend of 'Gangavataran' - (bringing of River Ganges from the Heaven to the Earth by the King Bhagirath).  King Sagar had 60000 sons, who were  turned into ash by the curse of a Sage named Kapil ,near the shore of the Ocean.   Bhagirath,a descendent of King Sagar,with a view  to redeeming the souls of his ancestors, pleased God Vishnu by his penance and requested him to release the river Ganges from the Heaven, so that he could lead her to the place where his ancestors  were burnt into ash.  This act of Bhagirath made him a celebrity in the Indian Mythology and now a days if some  one accomplishes a difficult task for the betterment of the society it is metaphorically termed as a "Bhagiratha attempt.   Those persons who want to know the details of 'Gangavataran' may please refer to website -

Descent of Ganga - Worldnews.com 

article.wn.com/view/2013/06/28/Descent_of_Ganga/‎