Chapter 39 — 60-Year-Old Sterile Woman Begets Children

Literal. Ganga, a 60-year-old Brahmin woman of Shounak Gotra, comes daily to Shri Guru. Asked her wish, she says: a son, even in my next life. Shri Guru tells her: worship the Audumbar tree at the Bhima-Amaraja Sangam, with specific procedures (16 upchars, recitations, moun). She does. On the third day she dreams that a Brahmin tells her to take seven rounds of Audumbar at Ganagapur and accept the prasad. She does, takes seven rounds, gets two fruits which she eats. She begins menstruation on the fifth day, becomes pregnant, gives birth in the seventh month, then a daughter, then a son, total of one daughter and one son. Shri Guru offers her a choice: a well-behaved son who will live 30 years, or a fool who will live 100 years. She chooses the well-behaved 30-year son. The son becomes learned and famous as Dixit.

Symbolic. Choice between two kinds of son explicitly framed; the well-behaved-but-short is preferred. This is consistent with the book's Sanyasa-favoring valuation: meaningful brevity over long mediocrity.

Structural. 60 years old, 7 rounds, 2 fruits, 3 days to dream, 5 days to menses. Choice between 30-year son and 100-year fool.