Shloka 40
Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)
शुभाशुभफल प्रेत्य लभते भूतसाक्षिकम् | अतिरिच्येत यो यत्र तत्कर्ता लभते फलम्
śubhāśubha-phalaṁ pretya labhate bhūta-sākṣikam | atiricyeta yo yatra tat-kartā labhate phalam ||
Vyāsa sprach: Nach dem Tod empfängt der Mensch die Frucht seiner guten und schlechten Taten, wobei die fünf großen Elemente als Zeugen dastehen. Und von beiden—Verdienst und Schuld—welches in einem Fall überwiegt, dessen entsprechende Wirkung erlangt der Handelnde vornehmlich.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Actions have inevitable consequences that mature after death; the cosmos itself—symbolized by the five great elements—bears witness, and the predominant weight of one’s merit or demerit determines the chief result experienced.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Vyāsa states a principle of karmic accounting: good and bad deeds are witnessed by the elements and yield their fruits in the post-mortem state, with the stronger side (good or evil) shaping the outcome.