Shloka 26
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
प्रेतान्नं सूतिकान्नं च यच्च किंचिदनिर्दशम् । अभोज्यं चाप्यपेयं च धेनोर्दुग्धमनिर्दशम्
pretānnaṁ sūtikānnaṁ ca yac ca kiṁcid anirdaśam | abhojyaṁ cāpy apeyaṁ ca dhenor dugdham anirdaśam ||
Vyāsa said: “Food connected with death-impurity (śauca) and food connected with birth-impurity—and indeed anything within the first ten days (of such impurity)—is not to be eaten; and likewise it is not to be drunk, such as a cow’s milk within the first ten days after calving.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches observance of śauca (ritual purity) by avoiding consumption of food and drink connected with death-impurity or birth-impurity for the first ten days; even a cow’s milk within ten days of calving is to be avoided.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-instructional context, Vyāsa lays down a rule of conduct about what should not be accepted or consumed during prescribed periods of impurity, emphasizing disciplined living and respect for dharmic norms.