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Shloka 28

कालनिर्देशः शोकनिवारणं च

Instruction on Kāla and the Removal of Grief

यदि बड़ा भाई पतित हो जाय या संन्यास ले ले तो उसके अविवाहित रहते हुए भी छोटे भाईका विवाह कर लेना दोषकी बात नहीं है। संतान-प्राप्तिके लिये स्त्रीद्वारा प्रार्थना करनेपर यदि कभी परस्त्रीसंगम किया जाय तो वह धर्मका लोप करनेवाला नहीं होता है ।। वृथा पशुसमालम्भं नैव कुर्यान्न कारयेत्‌ । अनुग्रह: पशूनां हि संस्कारो विधिनोदित:,मनुष्यको चाहिये कि वह व्यर्थ ही पशुओंका वध न तो करे और न करावे। विधिपूर्वक किया हुआ पशुओंका संस्कार उनपर अनुग्रह है

yadi bṛhā bhrātā patito bhavet vā saṃnyāsaṃ vā gṛhṇīyāt, tasya avivāhitasyaiva sati api kaniṣṭha-bhrātur vivāhaḥ doṣaḥ na bhavati. prajā-prāpty-arthaṃ striyā prārthite sati kadācit para-strī-saṅgamo 'pi kṛtaḥ sa dharmasya lopa-karo na bhavati. vṛthā paśu-samālambhaṃ naiva kuryān na kārayet; anugrahaḥ paśūnāṃ hi saṃskāro vidhinoditaḥ.

ヴィヤーサは説く。長兄が正しい行いから堕ちた、あるいは出家して世を捨てたなら、長兄が未婚であっても、弟は罪なく婚姻してよい。また、子を得るために妻が願い出るなら、例外として他の女との結びつきも、ダルマを滅ぼすものとは言われない。だが彼はさらに節制を加える――むやみに獣を殺してはならず、また人に殺させてもならぬ。定められた作法に従って獣が儀礼的に成礼(サンスカーラ)されるとき、それは単なる暴力ではなく、その生きものへの「恩寵」ないし規制された許しと見なされるのである。

vṛthāin vain, uselessly
vṛthā:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvṛthā
paśu-samālambhamkilling/slaughter of animals
paśu-samālambham:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootpaśu-samālambha
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
nanot
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
evaindeed, at all
eva:
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva
kuryātshould do
kuryāt:
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
nanor/not
na:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna
kārayetshould cause (someone) to do
kārayet:
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (ṇic)
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative (ṇic)
anugrahaḥa favor, kindness
anugrahaḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootanugraha
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
paśūnāmof animals
paśūnām:
TypeNoun
Rootpaśu
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
hiindeed, for
hi:
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi
saṃskāraḥrite, consecration (ritual act)
saṃskāraḥ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃskāra
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
vidhināby rule, according to injunction
vidhinā:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootvidhi
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
uditaḥenjoined, prescribed
uditaḥ:
TypeAdjective
Rootudita
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa
E
elder brother
Y
younger brother
W
wife (strī)
A
animals (paśu)

Educational Q&A

Dharma is presented as context-sensitive: social duties like marriage may be adjusted when the elder brother is disqualified or has renounced, and the desire for progeny can create narrowly framed exceptions; yet the text simultaneously insists on restraint—needless animal killing is condemned, and only rule-governed ritual acts are treated as permissible.

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa lays down normative guidance on household and ritual conduct—addressing marriage order among brothers, exceptional measures for obtaining offspring, and the ethical limits placed on animal killing, distinguishing purposeless violence from prescribed ritual procedure.