Shloka 37
Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation
संवत्सरेण पतति पतितेन सहाचरन् | याजनाध्यापनाद यौनान्न तु यानासनाशनात्
saṃvatsareṇa patati patitena sahācaran | yājanādhyāpanād yaunān na tu yānāsanāśanāt ||
পতিতৰ সৈতে একেলগে থাকি আচৰণ কৰিলে, তাৰ যজ্ঞ কৰালে আৰু তাক অধ্যাপন কৰিলে মানুহ এক বছৰৰ ভিতৰতে পতিত হয়; কিন্তু তাৰ সৈতে একে বাহন, একে আসন বা একে আহাৰ ভাগ কৰিলে—পতন এক বছৰত নহয়, তৎক্ষণাৎ।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma distinguishes degrees of moral/ritual contamination: some forms of association with a ‘fallen’ person lead to degradation over time (general companionship, priestly service, teaching), while intimate boundary-crossing acts—marital/sexual alliance and sharing conveyance, seat, or food—are treated as causing immediate fall.
In the Shanti Parva’s dharma-instruction, Bhishma is laying down norms of conduct and social boundaries, explaining to the listener how different interactions with a patita are evaluated and what consequences they are said to bring.