Shloka 26
अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्
Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed
ये दुर्गन्धीनि सेवते तथागन्धा भवन्ति ते । तपश्चर्यापर: सद्यः पापाद् विपरिमुच्यते
ye durgandhīni sevate tathāgandhā bhavanti te | tapaścaryāparaḥ sadyaḥ pāpād viparimucyate ||
যারা দুর্গন্ধযুক্ত বস্তু সেবন করে, তারা তদ্রূপ দুর্গন্ধযুক্তই হয়ে ওঠে। আর যে তপস্যায় নিবিষ্ট থাকে, সে তৎক্ষণাৎ পাপ থেকে সম্পূর্ণ মুক্ত হয়।
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person becomes like what they repeatedly consume or associate with; impure habits breed impurity, while tapas—self-restraint and disciplined spiritual effort—purifies and can free one from sin.
Śaunaka delivers a didactic maxim using the analogy of fragrance and stench to explain moral causality and the purifying power of austerity within the Shānti Parva’s broader instruction on dharma and right conduct.