Shloka 29
कालनियमः शोकशमनं च
Kāla as Regulator; Pacification of Grief
ये स्वधर्मादपेतेभ्य: प्रयच्छन्त्यल्पबुद्धय: । शतं वर्षाणि ते प्रेत्य पुरीषं भुज्जते जना:,“जो मन्दबुद्धि मानव अपने धर्मसे गिरे हुए मनुष्योंको धन देते हैं, वे मरनेके बाद सौ वर्षोंतक विष्ठा भोजन करते हैं
ye svadharmādapetebhyaḥ prayacchanty alpabuddhayaḥ | śataṃ varṣāṇi te pretya purīṣaṃ bhuñjate janāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Mereka yang kurang pertimbangan, yang memberikan (harta atau sokongan) kepada orang yang telah menyimpang daripada dharma mereka sendiri—selepas mati dikatakan memakan najis selama seratus tahun. Rangkap ini memberi amaran bahawa sedekah yang disalurkan kepada yang tidak benar, hingga menyuburkan adharma, menjadi tercemar dari segi etika dan membawa akibat yang menyakitkan, bukan pahala.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity is not automatically meritorious; it must be guided by discernment and dharma. Supporting those who have abandoned righteous conduct is portrayed as enabling adharma, bringing severe posthumous suffering rather than spiritual merit.
Vaiśampāyana delivers a moral injunction within the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, emphasizing standards for righteous giving and warning of karmic consequences when gifts are misdirected toward the dharma-fallen.