Shloka 30

Devanagari script

धर्मे तपसि दाने च विचिकित्सास्य जायते । स कुत्वा पापकान्येव निरयं प्रतिपद्यते,जिसे धर्म, तपस्या और दानमें संशय उत्पन्न हो जाता है, वह पापकर्म करके नरकमें पड़ता है

Transliteration

dharme tapasi dāne ca vicikitsāsya jāyate | sa kṛtvā pāpakāny eva nirayaṁ pratipadyate ||

Translation

Parāśara said: When a person becomes doubtful about dharma, austerity, and charity—hesitating over whether these are truly to be practiced—he turns instead to sinful acts, and by that choice he falls into hell.

Word by Word

धर्मेin dharma / in righteousness

तपसिin austerity

दानेin giving / charity

चand

विचिकित्साdoubt / hesitation

अस्यof him

जायतेarises / is born

सःhe

कृत्वाhaving done

पापकानिsins / evil deeds

एवindeed / only

निरयम्hell

प्रतिपद्यतेattains / goes to

Speaker

पराशर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Parāśara

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sustained doubt about the value of dharma, austerity, and charity can weaken moral resolve; when that doubt leads one to choose sinful actions, the karmic consequence is suffering symbolized as falling into hell (niraya).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Parāśara is instructing on ethical conduct and karmic causality, emphasizing that skepticism toward foundational virtues (dharma, tapas, dāna) can precipitate wrongdoing and its retributive outcome.