Shloka 6
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
अर्थिनां च पितृणां च देवतानां च भारत | आनृण्यं गच्छ कौन्तेय तत् सर्व च करिष्यसि
arthināṁ ca pitṝṇāṁ ca devatānāṁ ca bhārata | ānṛṇyaṁ gaccha kaunteya tat sarvaṁ ca kariṣyasi ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh Bhārata, oh hijo de Kuntī, esfuérzate por quedar libre de toda deuda: la debida a los suplicantes, a los antepasados y a los dioses. Al hacerlo, cumplirás debidamente todo lo que se requiere.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a righteous life aims at ānṛṇya—freedom from moral and ritual debts—by fulfilling obligations to (1) those who seek help, through generosity and justice; (2) the ancestors, through remembrance, continuity, and rites; and (3) the gods, through worship and offerings. Discharging these duties supports the completion of one’s broader dharma.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Vaiśampāyana addresses the Pāṇḍava (Kaunteya), emphasizing a practical ethical program after the war: restore order and personal integrity by meeting obligations to society, lineage, and the divine, assuring that such conduct enables the fulfilment of all necessary aims.