Shloka 20
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
दश वा वेदशास्त्रज्ञास्त्रयो वा धर्मपाठका: । यद् ब्रूयु: कार्य उत्पन्ने स धर्मो धर्मसंशये
daśa vā vedaśāstrajñās trayo vā dharmapāṭhakāḥ | yad brūyuḥ kārya utpanne sa dharmo dharmasaṃśaye ||
Vyāsa dit : Lorsqu’un cas pratique se présente et qu’un doute surgit sur ce qui est véritablement dharma—surtout en matière d’expiation—il faut tenir pour dharma ce qui est conclu, après délibération, soit par dix brāhmaṇas instruits du Veda et des śāstras, soit par trois qui étudient et examinent sans cesse le dharma.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma is uncertain in a real-life situation—especially regarding expiation—one should rely on a qualified collective judgment: either ten experts in Veda and śāstra, or three dedicated specialists in dharma-study. Their considered verdict is to be treated as dharma for that case.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Vyāsa lays down a practical rule for resolving moral-legal ambiguity: when texts or circumstances leave doubt, consult a competent council of learned Brāhmaṇas and accept their deliberated decision as the applicable dharma.