Shloka 20
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
दश वा वेदशास्त्रज्ञास्त्रयो वा धर्मपाठका: । यद् ब्रूयु: कार्य उत्पन्ने स धर्मो धर्मसंशये,“यदि प्रायश्चित्तकी आवश्यकता पड़ जाय और धर्मके निर्णयमें संदेह उपस्थित हो जाय तो वेद और धर्म-शास्त्रको जाननेवाले दस अथवा निरन्तर धर्मका विचार करनेवाले तीन ब्राह्मण उस प्रश्नपर विचार करके जो कुछ कहें, उसे ही धर्म मानना चाहिये
daśa vā vedaśāstrajñās trayo vā dharmapāṭhakāḥ | yad brūyuḥ kārya utpanne sa dharmo dharmasaṃśaye ||
ヴィヤーサは言った。「事案が生じ、何が真のダルマか疑いが起こるとき—とりわけ贖罪を要する事柄においては—ヴェーダと諸シャーストラに通じた十人のブラーフマナ、あるいは常にダルマを学び吟味する三人が、熟議して下した結論をダルマとして受け入れるべきである。」
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma is uncertain in a real-life situation—especially regarding expiation—one should rely on a qualified collective judgment: either ten experts in Veda and śāstra, or three dedicated specialists in dharma-study. Their considered verdict is to be treated as dharma for that case.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct, Vyāsa lays down a practical rule for resolving moral-legal ambiguity: when texts or circumstances leave doubt, consult a competent council of learned Brāhmaṇas and accept their deliberated decision as the applicable dharma.