Shloka 6
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
अर्थिनां च पितृणां च देवतानां च भारत | आनृण्यं गच्छ कौन्तेय तत् सर्व च करिष्यसि
arthināṁ ca pitṝṇāṁ ca devatānāṁ ca bhārata | ānṛṇyaṁ gaccha kaunteya tat sarvaṁ ca kariṣyasi ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Bhārata, o Sohn der Kuntī, strebe danach, von allen Schulden frei zu werden—denen gegenüber Bittenden, den Ahnen und den Göttern. Tust du dies, wirst du alles Erforderliche in rechter Weise vollbringen.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a righteous life aims at ānṛṇya—freedom from moral and ritual debts—by fulfilling obligations to (1) those who seek help, through generosity and justice; (2) the ancestors, through remembrance, continuity, and rites; and (3) the gods, through worship and offerings. Discharging these duties supports the completion of one’s broader dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vaiśampāyana addresses the Pāṇḍava (Kaunteya), emphasizing a practical ethical program after the war: restore order and personal integrity by meeting obligations to society, lineage, and the divine, assuring that such conduct enables the fulfilment of all necessary aims.