Shloka 46
Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)
शकक््यते विधिना पापं यथोक्तेन व्यपोहितुम् । आस्तिके श्रद्धधाने च विधिरेष विधीयते
śakyate vidhinā pāpaṁ yathoktena vyapohitum | āstike śraddadhāne ca vidhireṣa vidhīyate ||
શાસ્ત્રોક્ત વિધાન મુજબ પ્રાયશ્ચિત્ત કરવાથી પાપ દૂર કરી શકાય છે; પરંતુ આ નિયમ આસ્તિક અને શ્રદ્ધાવાન પુરુષ માટે જ કહ્યો છે.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Scriptural expiation can remove sin, but it is effective and applicable only for a believer who performs it with genuine faith; inner assent and trust are treated as prerequisites for the prescribed remedy.
In Vyāsa’s instruction within Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, he clarifies the conditions under which prāyaścitta (atonement) works: the method is as taught in śāstra, yet it is intended for the āstika and the śraddadhāna—those who accept and faithfully follow the injunctions.