Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)
तस्मिंस्तत् कलुषं सर्व समाप्तमिति शब्दितम् | प्रायश्षित्तं न तस्यास्ति हासो वा पापकर्मण:
tasmiṁs tat kaluṣaṁ sarvaṁ samāptam iti śabditam | prāyaścittaṁ na tasyāsti hāso vā pāpakarmaṇaḥ ||
قال فياسا: «في مثل هذا الرجل تُعلن الكتب أن رجسَ الإثم كلَّه قد اكتمل وثبت رسوخًا. فلا كفّارة له؛ ولا يُفضي أيُّ عملٍ من أعمال التوبة إلى محو فعلته الآثمة.»
व्यास उवाच
The verse teaches that when a person’s inner intention remains sinful—without remorse or shame—the sin becomes fully entrenched, and ordinary expiations (prāyaścitta) are declared ineffective for removing it.
In the instruction of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa articulates a moral principle: the efficacy of atonement depends on inner transformation; where there is hardened intent and lack of repentance, scripture deems the sin ‘complete’ and not removable by ritual penance alone.