Earlier, there were 12 kinds of sons. Two more kinds of sons were added by a few text writers as stated below :
| Kinds of Sons | ||
| 1) Aurasa | 6) Kanina. | 11) Svayamadatta. |
| 2) Dattaka | 7) Putrika putra. | 12) Paunarbhava. |
| 3) Kritrima | 8) Sahodhaja. | 13) Apviddha. |
| 4) Kshetraja. | 9) Krita. | 14) Nishad. |
| 5) Gudhaja. | 10) Kritrima. | |
Of all the above fourteen, the first two namely Aurasa and Dattaka are the approved and mostly accepted and the rest of twelve are absolute.
1) Aurasa (or the Legitimate Son) :
The Son begotten by a man himself upon his lawfully wedded wife is the Aurasa, the best of all sons.
2) Dattaka (or the adopted Son) :
A boy given voluntarily by his parents to an unfortunate Son less man being of the same caste and gift confirmed with a libation of water is known as the Dattaka of the man to whom he is given.
3) Kritrima (or the son made) :
A boy accepted like one’s own son for the sake of his qualities as such, after examining his qualities or faults as a son of one’s own caste , is known as the kritrima son. The letter two are different kinds of adopted sons.
4) Kshetraja :
The son begotten by niyoga, as approved by the shastra, one’s own wife by another man with the consent of the husband, or important, is known as Kshetraja.
5) Gudhaja :
Son secretly brought forth by the wife. A son born is the family but as to who begot him being unknown, is known as the gudhottpanna son of the one on whose wife he is begotten .
