Shloka 11

7एप्गाजियशाड्टा ब्रह्मघ्ने च सुरापे च चौरे भग्नव्रते तथा । निष्कृतिर्विहिता सद्धिः कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृति:,“ब्रह्मन! ब्रह्महत्यारे, शराबी, चोर और व्रतभंग करनेवाले मनुष्यके लिये साधुपुरुषोंने प्रायश्चित्तका विधान किया है, किंतु कृतघ्नके लिये कोई प्रायश्चित्त नहीं है

brahmaghne ca surāpe ca caure bhagnavrate tathā | niṣkṛtir vihitā sadbhiḥ kṛtaghne nāsti niṣkṛtiḥ ||

ビーシュマは言った。「バラモンよ。バラモン殺し、酒に溺れる者、盗人、そして誓戒(ヴラタ)を破った者には、善き人々が贖罪(プラーヤシュチッタ)を定めている。だが、恩を忘れる者には、いかなる贖罪もない。」

ब्रह्मघ्नेfor a Brahmin-slayer
ब्रह्मघ्ने:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मघ्न
FormMasculine, Dative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
सुरापेfor a drinker of liquor
सुरापे:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootसुराप
FormMasculine, Dative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चौरेfor a thief
चौरे:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootचोर
FormMasculine, Dative, Singular
भग्नव्रतेfor one who has broken a vow
भग्नव्रते:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootभग्नव्रत
FormMasculine, Dative, Singular
तथाlikewise/also
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
निष्कृतिःexpiation
निष्कृतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनिष्कृति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
विहिताhas been prescribed
विहिता:
TypeAdjective
Rootवि-धा (धातु: धा)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)
सद्भिःby the good (people)
सद्भिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसत्
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
कृतघ्नेfor an ungrateful person
कृतघ्ने:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootकृतघ्न
FormMasculine, Dative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अस्तिthere is
अस्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormPresent (लट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
निष्कृतिःexpiation
निष्कृतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनिष्कृति
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma

Educational Q&A

The verse ranks ingratitude (kṛtaghnatā) as a moral failure so grave that, unlike other major sins for which tradition prescribes prāyaścitta (expiation), it is treated as beyond ritual or formal atonement—implying that ethical character and loyalty to benefactors are foundational to dharma.

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and moral conduct. Here he contrasts expiable transgressions (killing a Brāhmaṇa, drinking liquor, theft, breaking vows) with the unexpiable fault of ingratitude, emphasizing its social and ethical destructiveness.