Shloka 25
Śāṇḍilī–Sumanā-saṃvāda: Sat-strī-samudācāra and Pati-dharma
Conduct of the Virtuous Wife
यज्ञदानतप:शीला नरा वै पुण्यकर्मिण: । येअभिद्रह्मन्ति भूतानि ते वै पापकृतो जना:
vyāsa uvāca | yajñadānatapaḥśīlā narā vai puṇyakarmiṇaḥ | ye 'bhidruhṇanti bhūtāni te vai pāpakṛto janāḥ ||
Vyāsa dit : Ceux qui se vouent au sacrifice, au don et à l’austérité sont véritablement des artisans de mérite. Mais ceux qui nourrissent de la malveillance envers les êtres vivants et leur font du tort doivent être connus comme des pécheurs. Ce verset donne la mesure du dharma : la discipline intérieure et la générosité élèvent, tandis que l’hostilité envers les créatures marque la déchéance morale.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Merit is defined by sustained commitment to yajña (sacred duty), dāna (generosity), and tapas (self-discipline), while sin is defined by hostility and harm toward living beings. Dharma is measured not only by ritual and ascetic practice but also by one’s attitude and conduct toward all creatures.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused setting, Vyāsa delivers a concise moral criterion: he distinguishes the truly virtuous from the sinful by contrasting religious-ethical practices (sacrifice, charity, austerity) with cruelty or malice toward beings.