Shloka 24

कालनिर्देशः शोकनिवारणं च

Instruction on Kāla and the Removal of Grief

Devanagari script

अन्यत्र ब्राह्मणस्वेभ्य आददानो न दुष्यति । स्वयमप्राशिता यश्ष न स पापेन लिप्यते

Transliteration

anyatra brāhmaṇasvebhya ādādāno na duṣyati | svayam aprāśitā yaś ca na sa pāpena lipyate ||

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ സ്വത്തിനെ ഒഴികെ മറ്റിടങ്ങളിൽ (ആരുടെയായാലും) സമ്പത്ത് എടുത്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ദൂഷിതനാകുന്നില്ല; കൂടാതെ താൻ സ്വയം ആ (നിഷിദ്ധ) ആഹാരം കഴിക്കാത്തവൻ പാപത്തിൽ ലിപ്തനാകുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

अन्यत्रelsewhere; except

ब्राह्मणस्वेभ्यःfrom the property of Brahmins

आददानःtaking; appropriating

नnot

दुष्यतिis tainted; incurs fault

स्वयम्oneself

अप्राशितःnot having eaten; unfed

यःwho

सःhe

नnot

पापेनby sin; with sin

लिप्यतेis smeared; is tainted

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Brāhmaṇa (as a social/religious class)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse draws a sharp ethical boundary: taking property is treated as blameworthy especially when it is Brahmin-owned, and it also distinguishes personal culpability—one who has not personally partaken (eaten) is not morally tainted by that act.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic setting of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a rule-like ethical clarification about fault (doṣa) and sin (pāpa), focusing on exceptions and on how personal participation determines moral contamination.