the offspring need not be good just because of parentage

न व्याप्तिरेषा गुणिनो गुणवाञ्जायते ध्रुवम्।

चन्दनोऽनलसंदग्धो न भस्म सुरभिः क्वचित्॥

कुसुमदेवकृतम् दृष्टान्तकलिकाशतके ॥४१॥

na vyāptireṣā guṇino guṇavāñjāyate dhruvam|

candano'nalasaṁdagdho na bhasma surabhiḥ kvacit||

kusumadevakṛtam dṛṣṭāntakalikāśatake ||41||

A very insightful observation by poet Kusumadeva in his work Drishtaanta Kalikashatakam..

There is not much of sense in stating that a good and noble and powerful person alone would be born from the union of parents who are good and powerful.

A piece of fragrant sandalwood, when burnt with fire who is fiercely powerful, produces ashes which are not fragrant, nor with any power..

Of course our human tendency is to judge the pedigree of the offspring from the quality of the parents..

Many divisions in status among humans like race, caste, creed arose from this presumption..

Maybe, a child would imbibe some values and talents from the parents and society because of the company he keeps with them in the formative years.. The genetic features might also play a role in determining the shape, colour etc of the child.. These facts cannot be denied..

But to presume that great personages can be born from great parents is expecting too much..

Many idiots have sprung themselves out of brilliant parents.

Many thugs have been born to messiahs of peace..

This is not to deny the fact that the social set up among human beings provides a greater advantage to children born to parents who hav some advantage.. but high birth should not be everything in judging the merits of a human being