Shloka 46
Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)
शकक््यते विधिना पापं यथोक्तेन व्यपोहितुम् । आस्तिके श्रद्धधाने च विधिरेष विधीयते
śakyate vidhinā pāpaṁ yathoktena vyapohitum | āstike śraddadhāne ca vidhireṣa vidhīyate ||
শাস্ত্ৰোক্ত বিধি অনুসাৰে প্ৰায়শ্চিত্ত কৰিলে পাপ দূৰ কৰিব পাৰি; কিন্তু এই বিধান কেৱল আস্তিক আৰু শ্রদ্ধাবান ব্যক্তিৰ বাবেই কোৱা হৈছে।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Scriptural expiation can remove sin, but it is effective and applicable only for a believer who performs it with genuine faith; inner assent and trust are treated as prerequisites for the prescribed remedy.
In Vyāsa’s instruction within Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, he clarifies the conditions under which prāyaścitta (atonement) works: the method is as taught in śāstra, yet it is intended for the āstika and the śraddadhāna—those who accept and faithfully follow the injunctions.