Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यः पाप॑ कुरुते राजा काममोहबलात्कृतः । प्रत्यासन्नस्य तस्यर्षे कि स्थात्‌ पापप्रणाशनम्‌,“महर्षे! यदि कोई राजा काम और मोहके वशीभूत होकर पाप कर बैठे, किंतु फिर उसे पश्चात्ताप होने लगे तो उसके उस पापको दूर करनेके लिये कौन-सा प्रायश्ित्त है?

Transliteration

yaḥ pāpaṃ karute rājā kāma-moha-balāt kṛtaḥ | pratyāsannasya tasyarṣe kiṃ syāt pāpa-praṇāśanam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O sage, if a king, overpowered by the force of desire and delusion, commits a sinful act, but afterward remorse arises in him, what means of expiation will bring about the destruction of that sin?”

Word by Word

यःwho (he who)

पापम्sin, evil deed

कुरुतेdoes, commits

राजाking

कामdesire, lust

मोहdelusion

बलात्by force, under compulsion

कृतःdone, having been done / having done

प्रत्यासन्नस्यof one who has approached/come near (i.e., has turned back/repented)

तस्यof him, his

ऋषेO sage

किम्what?

स्थात्would be / should be

पापof sin

प्रणाशनम्removal, destruction

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Raja (king)

Rishi (sage)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when wrongdoing is driven by desire and delusion, the text frames moral recovery through prāyaścitta (expiation) grounded in remorse and a return to dharma, emphasizing accountability in kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhīṣma raises a question to a sage about what expiatory measure can remove a king’s sin when the king later becomes repentant.