Shloka 23
Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)
अनृतेनोपवर्ती चेत् प्रतिरोद्धा गुरोस्तथा । उपाहत्य प्रियं तस्मै तस्मात् पापात् प्रमुच्यते
anṛtenopavartī cet pratiroddhā guros tathā | upāhatya priyaṁ tasmai tasmāt pāpāt pramucyate ||
ವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಸುಳ್ಳಿನಿಂದ ಜೀವನ ನಡೆಸುವವನು, ಅಥವಾ ಗುರುವನ್ನು ತಡೆದು ಅವಮಾನಿಸಿದವನು, ಗುರುಗೆ ಪ್ರಿಯವಾದುದನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಸಂತೋಷಪಡಿಸಿದರೆ ಆ ಪಾಪದಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing such as living by falsehood or offending one’s teacher can be mitigated through prāyaścitta that repairs the harm—specifically, by sincerely pleasing the guru with a valued offering, restoring respect and right relationship.
In the didactic discourse of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a rule of expiation: a person guilty of deceitful livelihood or of obstructing/insulting the guru can be freed from that sin by making amends—giving the guru something pleasing and thereby obtaining the guru’s satisfaction.