Shloka 7
Adhyāya 9: Pratiśruta-Dāna
The Duty to Fulfill Promised Gifts
अपि चोदाहरन्तीमं धर्मशास्त्रविदो जना: । अश्वानां श्यामकर्णानां सहस्रेण स मुच्यते,धर्मशास्त्रोंके विद्वान यह भी कहते हैं कि प्रतिज्ञा-भंगका पाप करनेवाला पुरुष एक हजार श्यामकर्ण घोड़ोंका दान करनेसे उस पापसे मुक्त होता है
api codāharantīmaṁ dharmaśāstravido janāḥ | aśvānāṁ śyāmakarṇānāṁ sahasreṇa sa mucyate ||
भीष्म म्हणाले— तसेच धर्मशास्त्राचे विद्वान हे उदाहरणही देतात: जो पुरुष प्रतिज्ञाभंगाच्या पापात पडला असेल, तो श्यामकर्ण घोड्यांचे एक हजार दान केल्याने त्या दोषातून मुक्त होतो.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Breaking a vow is treated as a serious ethical fault, but Dharmaśāstra recognizes structured atonement: a prescribed act of dāna (here, gifting a thousand dark-eared horses) is presented as a means to remove the moral taint and restore dharmic standing.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he supports his counsel by citing what Dharmaśāstra authorities say—offering a specific, traditional expiation for vow-breaking, framed as an authoritative example.