Shloka 26
Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)
राजन! ब्रह्महत्यारे, शराबी, चोर तथा व्रतभज़ करने वालोंके लिये शास्त्रमें प्रायश्नित्तका विधान है; परंतु कृतघ्नके उद्धारका कोई उपाय नहीं बताया गया है ।।
rājan! brahmahatyāre, śarābī, cora tathā vratabhraṣṭa karane vāloṃ ke liye śāstra meṃ prāyaścittakā vidhāna hai; parantu kṛtaghna ke uddhār kā koī upāya nahīṃ batāyā gayā hai. mitradrohī nṛśaṃsaḥ kṛtaghnaś ca narādhamaḥ | kravyādaiḥ kṛmibhiś caiva na bhujyante hi tādṛśāḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Wahai Raja, kitab-kitab suci menetapkan penebusan bahkan bagi pelaku dosa besar—pembunuh brahmana, peminum minuman memabukkan, pencuri, dan pelanggar kaul suci. Namun bagi orang yang tidak tahu berterima kasih, tiada jalan penebusan diajarkan. Pengkhianat sahabat, manusia kejam, si tak tahu budi—serendah-rendah manusia; begitu hinanya hingga binatang pemakan daging dan cacing pun enggan melahap jasadnya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma elevates gratitude and loyalty as foundational virtues: even severe ritual-legal sins have prescribed expiations, but ingratitude and betrayal of friends are portrayed as moral corruption so deep that scripture offers no clear path of atonement.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira), Bhīṣma continues ethical counsel by contrasting punishable sins that admit penance with the uniquely condemned status of the ungrateful, friend-betraying, cruel person.