Shloka 20

कालनिर्देशः शोकनिवारणं च

Instruction on Kāla and the Removal of Grief

Devanagari script

प्राणात्यये तथाज्ञानादाचरन्मदिरामपि । आदेशितो धर्मपरै: पुन: संस्कारमरहति,अनजानमें अथवा प्राणसंकटके समय भी यदि मदिरापान कर ले तो बादमें धर्मात्मा पुरुषोंकी आज्ञाके अनुसार उसका पुनः संस्कार होना चाहिये

Transliteration

prāṇātyaye tathājñānād ācaran madirām api | ādeśito dharmaparaiḥ punaḥ saṃskāram arhati ||

Translation

Vyāsa sprach: Selbst wenn ein Mensch aus Unwissenheit oder in einem Augenblick lebensbedrohlicher Gefahr berauschenden Trank zu sich nimmt, bleibt er doch geeignet, später—auf Weisung rechtschaffener, dharma-gesinnter Autoritäten—eine erneute Weihe und Reinigung zu empfangen. Die Lehre betont, dass Schuld von Absicht und Lage abhängt und dass ethische Wiederherstellung durch vorgeschriebene Riten unter rechter Führung möglich ist.

Word by Word

प्राणात्ययेin danger of life / at the time of life-threatening crisis

तथाlikewise / also

अज्ञानात्from ignorance / out of ignorance

आचरन्doing / committing / practicing

मदिराम्liquor / wine

अपिeven / also

आदेशितःhaving been instructed / enjoined

धर्मपरैःby the righteous / by those devoted to dharma

पुनःagain

संस्कारम्purificatory rite / re-sanctification

अर्हतिdeserves / is fit (to receive)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

madirā (intoxicating liquor)

dharmaparāḥ (righteous authorities)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral responsibility is assessed with attention to intention and necessity: acts like drinking liquor, normally censured, may be mitigated when done unknowingly or under threat to life, and the person can be ethically restored through prescribed re-sanctification under the guidance of dharma-minded authorities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa states a rule within a dharma-discussion: if someone has consumed liquor due to ignorance or in a life-threatening emergency, then, upon the instruction of righteous elders/authorities, that person is eligible for a subsequent saṃskāra (restorative rite) to re-establish purity and social-religious standing.