Shloka 18

Devanagari script

क्षयं शोकं प्रकुर्वाणो न म्रियेत यदा नर: । शस्त्रादिभिरुपाविष्ट स्त्रिरात्रं तत्र निर्दिशेत्‌,“यदि पुत्र आदिकी मृत्युके कारण शोक करनेवाला पुरुष आमरण उपवास करनेके लिये बैठ जाय अथवा शस्त्र आदिसे आत्मघातकी चेष्टा करे; परंतु उसकी मृत्यु न हो, उस दशामें भी उस निन्द्यकर्मके लिये जो चेष्टा की गयी थी, उसके दोषकी निवृत्तिके लिये उसे तीन रातका उपवास बताना चाहिये

Transliteration

kṣayaṃ śokaṃ prakurvāṇo na mriyeta yadā naraḥ | śastrādibhir upāviṣṭaḥ strirātraṃ tatra nirdiśet ||

Translation

ヴィヤーサは言った。「もし人が、悲嘆と破滅に圧されて死を決し、死に至る断食であれ、武器などによる自害の企てであれ、身を滅ぼそうとして座しながら、実際には死に至らなかったなら、その場合であっても、企てた非難すべき行為の罪を除くため、三夜の断食を贖罪として定めるべきである。」

Word by Word

क्षयम्wasting away, emaciation

शोकम्grief

प्रकुर्वाणःdoing, causing (to arise)

नnot

म्रियेतshould die / would die

यदाwhen

नरःa man

शस्त्रादिभिःwith weapons and the like

उपाविष्टःhaving sat down (undertaking)

स्त्रिरात्रम्a three-night (fast/penance)

तत्रthere, in that case

निर्दिशेत्should prescribe, should indicate

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

weapons (śastra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even an unsuccessful attempt at self-destruction—motivated by grief or loss—is treated as a blameworthy act in dharma discourse, and it requires expiation; here, the prescribed remedy is a three-night fast.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa states a rule of conduct and penance: if a person, driven by sorrow, undertakes fasting to death or tries to kill himself with weapons but survives, a three-night observance (fast) should be enjoined to remove the fault of the attempted act.