Shloka 36
अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्
Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed
छिद्राणि विवृतान्येव साधूनां चावृणोति यः । यः पाप॑ पुरुष: कृत्वा कल्याणमभिपलद्यते
chidrāṇi vivṛtānyeva sādhūnām cāvṛṇoti yaḥ | yaḥ pāpa-puruṣaḥ kṛtvā kalyāṇam abhipadyate ||
シャウナカは言った。「徳ある人々の露わになった瑕疵を覆い、その顕れた欠点を隠そうと努める者、また罪を犯したのちそれを断って善き行いへ入る者——この二人はいずれも罪を離れる。」
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two actions are presented as purifying: (1) shielding the openly visible faults of virtuous people—protecting them from needless blame—and (2) genuine reform, where a person who has sinned abandons wrongdoing and commits to wholesome conduct. Both lead to freedom from sin.
Śaunaka states an ethical maxim within the Shānti Parva’s instruction on dharma: he highlights the merit of charitable discretion toward the good and the redemptive possibility of turning from sin to righteous action.