Shloka 35

Devanagari script

पापं कृत्वाभिमन्येत नाहमस्मीति पूरुष: । तच्चिकीर्षति कल्याणं श्रद्धधानोडनसूयक:,मनुष्यको चाहिये कि वह पाप करके अहंकार न प्रकट करे--हेकड़ी न दिखावे, अपितु श्रद्धापूर्वक दोषदृष्टिका परित्याग करके कल्याणमय धर्मके अनुष्ठानकी इच्छा करे

Transliteration

pāpaṁ kṛtvābhimanyeta nāham asmīti pūruṣaḥ | tac cikīrṣati kalyāṇaṁ śraddadhāno 'nasūyakaḥ ||

Translation

Śaunaka said: A person, even after committing a sin, should not become arrogant and think, “I am not at fault.” Rather, with faith and without fault-finding or malice toward others, he should resolve to pursue what is wholesome—undertaking righteous conduct that leads to well-being.

Word by Word

पापम्sin, evil deed

कृत्वाhaving done

अभिमन्येतshould think/pride himself

नnot

अहम्I

अस्मिam

इतिthus (quotative)

पूरुषःa man, person

तत्that (i.e., that thought/attitude)

चिकीर्षतिwishes to do, intends to perform

कल्याणम्good, welfare, auspicious act

श्रद्धधानःhaving faith, faithful

अनसूयकःnon-censorious, free from fault-finding/envy

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śaunaka

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not deny or boast after wrongdoing; instead, with faith and a non-censorious attitude, turn toward kalyāṇa—wholesome dharmic action. Moral progress begins with humility and sincere intention to reform.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shānti Parva’s didactic setting, Śaunaka articulates a general ethical principle: when one errs, the proper response is not self-justifying denial but a faithful resolve to practice dharma, free from envy and fault-finding.