Shloka 8
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
देवस्थानाभिगमनमाज्यप्राशनमेव च । एतानि मेध्यं पुरुष कुर्वन्त्याशु न संशय:
devasthānābhigamanam ājyaprāśanam eva ca | etāni medhyaṁ puruṣa kurvanty āśu na saṁśayaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “Visiting the sacred shrines of the gods and the ritual drinking of clarified butter—these acts quickly render a person pure; of this there is no doubt.” Within the ethical vision of the Śānti Parva, the verse affirms that such sanctioned observances can serve as supports for expiation, restoring inner and outer cleanliness when one seeks to remove the stain of wrongdoing and return to dharmic conduct.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
That certain dharmically sanctioned observances—especially pilgrimage to sacred shrines and ājyaprāśana—are recognized means of rapid purification, supporting the removal of moral and ritual impurity and helping one re-establish right conduct.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and expiation, Vyāsa enumerates purificatory practices and asserts their efficacy, emphasizing that these acts can quickly restore purity when undertaken as part of prāyaścitta.