Shloka 48

Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)

Devanagari script

शिष्टाचारश्व शिष्ट श्न धर्मो धर्मभूतां वर । सेवितव्यो नरव्याघ्र प्रेत्येह च सुखेप्सुना,धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ पुरुषसिंह! जो इहलोक और परलोकमें सुख चाहता हो उसे श्रेष्ठ पुरुषोंके आचार तथा उनके उपदेश किये हुए धर्मका सदा ही सेवन करना चाहिये

Transliteration

śiṣṭācāraś ca śiṣṭokto dharmo dharmabhṛtāṃ vara | sevitavyo naravyāghra pretyeha ca sukhepsunā ||

Translation

قال فياسا: «يا خير من يقوم بالدَّرما، يا نمرَ الرجال—من ابتغى السعادة في هذه الدنيا وفيما بعد الموت فليلازم دائمًا سيرة الأخيار، وليعمل بالدَّرما كما علّمها الصالحون.»

Word by Word

शिष्टाचारःthe conduct of the learned/virtuous

चand

शिष्टःa learned/virtuous person

चand

धर्मःdharma; righteous duty

धर्मभूतानाम्of those who are righteous (dharma-natured)

वरO best (one)

सेवितव्यःshould be practiced/served

नरव्याघ्रO tiger among men

प्रेत्यhaving departed (after death); hereafter

इहhere (in this world)

चand

सुखेप्सुनाby/for one desiring happiness

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

naravyāghra (addressed hero, unspecified by name in this verse)

śiṣṭāḥ (the virtuous/learned elders as a class)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Happiness and well-being—both in this life and after death—depend on aligning one’s life with dharma, specifically as embodied in the exemplary conduct (śiṣṭācāra) and teachings (śiṣṭokta) of the virtuous.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa delivers moral instruction to a heroic listener, emphasizing that ethical guidance should be taken from the lived example and counsel of righteous elders rather than from mere personal preference.