Vītahavya’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya (Vītahavya–Vipratva) | वीतहव्यस्य ब्राह्मण्यप्राप्तिः
पुल्कस: पापयोनिर्वा यः कश्चिदिह लक्ष्यते स तस्यामेव सुचिरं मतड़ परिवर्तते,“मतंग! पुल्कस या जो कोई भी पापयोनि पुरुष यहाँ दिखायी देता है वह सुदीर्घधकालतक अपनी उसी योनिमें चक्कर लगाता रहता है
pulkaśaḥ pāpayonir vā yaḥ kaścid iha lakṣyate sa tasyām eva suciraṁ mataṅga parivartate
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô Mataṅga, quiconque est vu ici comme Pulkaśa, ou comme tout homme né d’une matrice de péché, demeure très longtemps à tourner et retourner dans cette même condition de naissance.»
भीष्म उवाच
The verse asserts a karmic principle: a person identified as being in a ‘pāpayoni’ (a birth-condition attributed to demerit) tends to remain bound to that same condition for a long time, implying that ethical conduct and accumulated karma shape one’s long-term trajectory across lives.
Bhīṣma addresses Mataṅga and makes a general statement about those perceived as Pulkaśas or otherwise of ‘sinful birth,’ describing prolonged continued existence within the same yoni/condition—part of a broader didactic discussion on dharma, conduct, and karmic consequences.