Shloka 96
Cyavana’s Water-Vow and the Ethics of Cohabitation (स्नेह-सम्वास-धर्मः)
तत्र जातेष्वपत्येषु द्विगुणं स्यथाद् युधिष्ठिर । शूद्रजातिकी स्त्रीको अपनी शय्यापर सुलाकर ब्राह्मण अधोगतिको प्राप्त होता है। साथ ही शास्त्रीय विधिके अनुसार वह प्रायश्चित्तका भागी होता है। युधिष्ठिर! शूद्राके गर्भसे संतान उत्पन्न करनेपर ब्राह्मणको दूना पाप लगता है और उसे दूने प्रायश्चित्तका भागी होना पड़ता है
tatra jāteṣv apatyeṣu dviguṇaṃ syāt tad yudhiṣṭhira | śūdra-jātikī-strī-śayyāyāṃ śayānaḥ sulabhaṃ brāhmaṇo ’dhogatiṃ prāpnoti | sārdhaṃ ca śāstrīya-vidhinā sa prāyaścittasya bhāgī bhavati | yudhiṣṭhira śūdrāyā garbhāt santānaṃ janayitvā brāhmaṇasya dviguṇaṃ pāpaṃ bhavati, dviguṇa-prāyaścitta-bhāgī ca bhavati ||
Wahai Yudhishthira, apabila zuriat lahir dalam keadaan demikian, kesalahan seorang Brahmin dikira berganda dua. Brahmin yang membawa wanita dari golongan Śūdra ke peraduannya, kata Bhishma, menjerumuskan dirinya ke keadaan rohani yang hina; dan menurut ketetapan śāstra, dia tertakluk kepada penebusan (prāyaścitta) yang ditentukan—dalam hal ini, penebusan itu juga berganda dua. Apabila seorang Brahmin memperanakkan anak melalui rahim seorang Śūdra, dosanya menjadi dua kali ganda dan prāyaścitta yang wajib ditanggungnya juga dua kali ganda.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes heightened moral accountability: when a Brahmin violates prescribed dharmic boundaries by begetting children with a Shudra woman, the demerit is considered doubled and the required expiation is likewise doubled, underscoring the idea that those tasked with upholding dharma incur heavier consequences for transgression.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is answering Yudhishthira’s questions on dharma and proper conduct. Here he gives a specific rule about sexual conduct and progeny, describing the spiritual consequence (adhogati) and the remedial measure (prāyaścitta) as defined by śāstra.