Shloka 36
अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्
Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed
छिद्राणि विवृतान्येव साधूनां चावृणोति यः । यः पाप॑ पुरुष: कृत्वा कल्याणमभिपलद्यते
chidrāṇi vivṛtānyeva sādhūnām cāvṛṇoti yaḥ | yaḥ pāpa-puruṣaḥ kṛtvā kalyāṇam abhipadyate ||
শৌনক বললেন—যে ব্যক্তি সাধুজনের প্রকাশ্য ত্রুটি ঢেকে দেয়, অর্থাৎ তাদের প্রকাশিত দোষও আড়াল করতে চায়, এবং যে পাপ করে পরে তা ত্যাগ করে কল্যাণকর কর্মে প্রবেশ করে—উভয়েই পাপমুক্ত হয়।
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two actions are presented as purifying: (1) shielding the openly visible faults of virtuous people—protecting them from needless blame—and (2) genuine reform, where a person who has sinned abandons wrongdoing and commits to wholesome conduct. Both lead to freedom from sin.
Śaunaka states an ethical maxim within the Shānti Parva’s instruction on dharma: he highlights the merit of charitable discretion toward the good and the redemptive possibility of turning from sin to righteous action.