Shloka 7
Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
अपि चोदाहरन्तीमं धर्मशास्त्रविदो जना: । अश्वानां श्यामकर्णानां सहस्रेण स मुच्यते
api codāharantīmaṁ dharmaśāstravido janāḥ | aśvānāṁ śyāmakarṇānāṁ sahasreṇa sa mucyate ||
Bhishma dit : De plus, ceux qui connaissent les traités du dharma citent cet exemple : l’homme qui a encouru le péché de rompre un vœu solennel est délivré de cette faute en offrant en don mille chevaux aux oreilles sombres. L’enseignement souligne que les manquements éthiques engendrent une dette morale, et que les actes prescrits de générosité et de réparation sont tenus pour purifier et rétablir la place de chacun dans le dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Breaking a vow is treated as a serious ethical fault, but Dharmaśāstra recognizes structured atonement: a prescribed act of dāna (here, gifting a thousand dark-eared horses) is presented as a means to remove the moral taint and restore dharmic standing.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he supports his counsel by citing what Dharmaśāstra authorities say—offering a specific, traditional expiation for vow-breaking, framed as an authoritative example.