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Shloka 42

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

कपाले यद्वदाप: स्यु: श्वद्तौ च यथा पय: । आश्रयस्थानदोषेण वृत्तहीने तथा श्रुतम्‌,'जैसे मनुष्यकी खोपड़ीमें भरा हुआ जल और कुत्तेकी खालमें रखा हुआ दूध आश्रयदोषसे अपवित्र होता है, उसी प्रकार सदाचारहीन ब्राह्मणका शास्त्रज्ञान भी आश्रय- स्थानके दोषसे दूषित हो जाता है

kapāle yadvad āpaḥ syuḥ śvattau ca yathā payaḥ | āśrayasthānadoṣeṇa vṛttahīne tathā śrutam ||

ಮಾನವನ ಕಪಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಟ್ಟ ನೀರು ಮತ್ತು ನಾಯಿಯ ಚರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಟ್ಟ ಹಾಲು—ಆಧಾರದ ದೋಷದಿಂದ ಅಶುದ್ಧವಾಗುವಂತೆ, ಸದಾಚಾರಹೀನ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಶ್ರವಣ ಮತ್ತು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವೂ ಆಶ್ರಯಸ್ಥಾನದ ದೋಷದಿಂದ ಕಲుషಿತವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ।

कपालेin a skull
कपाले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकपाल
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
यद्वत्just as
यद्वत्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयद्वत्
आपःwaters
आपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअप्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
स्युःwould be / may be
स्युः:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormOptative, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
श्वद्तौin a dog-skin (hide)
श्वद्तौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootश्वद्-त्वच्
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
यथाas
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
पयःmilk
पयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपयस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
आश्रयस्थानदोषेणby the fault of the receptacle/place of support
आश्रयस्थानदोषेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootआश्रय-स्थान-दोष
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
वृत्तहीनेin one devoid of right conduct
वृत्तहीने:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootवृत्त-हीन
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
तथाso / likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
श्रुतम्learning; what is heard (scriptural knowledge)
श्रुतम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्रुत
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular

व्यास उवाच

V
Vyāsa
H
human skull (kapāla)
D
dog’s hide/skin (śvattau)
W
water (āpaḥ)
M
milk (payaḥ)
Ś
śruti/śruta (sacred learning)

Educational Q&A

Sacred knowledge gains authority and purity only when grounded in right conduct; when the moral ‘container’ is impure, learning itself becomes ethically compromised and socially untrustworthy.

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa uses vivid purity metaphors—water in a skull and milk in a dog’s hide—to warn that scriptural learning in a person lacking good conduct is corrupted by the defect of its bearer.