Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

पायसं कृसरं मांसमपूपाश्न वृथाकृता:

Transliteration

pāyasaṁ kṛsaraṁ māṁsam apūpāśna vṛthākṛtāḥ

Translation

ວະຍາສະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ທີ່ກະທຳຢ່າງເປົ່າປະໂຫຍດ—ບໍ່ມີເປົ້າໝາຍແທ້ ແລະບໍ່ມີຄວາມປະພຶດຖືກທຳ—ມັກກິນອາຫານຫຼູຫລາ ເຊັ່ນ ຂ້າວຫວານ (pāyasa), ເຂົ້າປົນ (kṛsara), ຊີ້ນ ແລະ ເຂົ້າໜົມ (apūpa)».

Word by Word

• पायसम्: rice-milk pudding
• पायसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृसरम्: khichri / a mixed rice dish
• कृसरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृसर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपूपान्: cakes / fried breads
• अपूपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपूप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अश्न: (you) eat
• अश्न: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Second, Singular

• वृथाकृताः: those who act in vain / futile-doers
• वृथाकृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृथा-कृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• pāyasa
• kṛsara
• māṁsa
• apūpa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse criticizes purposeless or unrighteous living (vṛthā-kṛta) by associating it with indulgence in rich foods, implying that ethical life requires meaningful action and restraint rather than mere consumption and pleasure.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Vyāsa is speaking in a moral-exhortative tone, using a list of luxurious foods (pāyasa, kṛsara, meat, cakes) to characterize people whose actions are ‘in vain,’ as part of broader instruction on conduct and values.