The religious men say that he who has one son has no son at all. The Agnihotra worship and three classes of study do not yield the one sixteenth part of the religious merits as are derived by the birth of a son. There is hardly any difference in this respect between men and other animals.
अनपत्यतैकपुत्रत्वमित्याहुर्धर्मवादिनः। अग्निहोत्रं त्रयीविद्यासंतानमपि चाक्षयम्॥ सर्वाण्येतान्यपत्यस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्। एवमेतन्मनुष्येषु तच सर्वप्रजास्विति॥