Shloka 16
पापात्मा सो5कृतप्रज्ञ: सदैवेह द्विजोत्तम | द्विजश्रेष्ठ) जो मनुष्य प्रमाणभूत वेदको अपने अप्रामाणिक कुतर्कद्वारा अमंगलकारी सिद्ध करता है, उसकी बुद्धि शुद्ध नहीं है, उसका मन सदा यहाँ पापोंमें ही लगा रहता है और वह अपने अशुभ कर्मके कारण पापाचारियोंके लोकों (नरकों) में ही जाता है ।। १५३ || कर्तव्यमिति कर्तव्यं वेत्ति वै ब्राह्मणो भयम्
pāpātmā so'kṛtaprajñaḥ sadaiveha dvijottama | kṛtavyam iti kartavyaṃ vetti vai brāhmaṇo bhayam ||
Chūlādhāra said: “O best of the twice-born, the sinful man who lacks true discernment remains here ever inclined toward wrongdoing. But the Brahmin who understands what must be done as ‘duty’—knowing the fearful consequences of neglecting it—recognizes the path of right action.”
चुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts the unwise, sin-inclined person with the dharmic Brahmin: true wisdom is to recognize obligatory action as duty (kartavya) and to understand the grave danger (bhaya) of abandoning dharma—namely moral downfall and harmful consequences.
In Śānti Parva’s didactic dialogue, Chūlādhāra instructs a Brahmin interlocutor about ethical conduct. Here he emphasizes discernment: the misguided remain attached to sin, while the wise identify and perform duty, mindful of the peril inherent in adharma.