Shloka 25
राजधर्मः, दण्डनीतिः, कर्तृत्व-विचारः च
Royal Duty, Lawful Discipline, and the Question of Agency
तद् राजन् जीवमानस्त्वं प्रायश्षित्तं करिष्यसि । प्रायश्षित्तमकृत्वा तु प्रेत्य तप्तासि भारत,भरतवंशी नरेश! यदि जीवित रहोगे तो उन कर्मोंका प्रायश्चित्त कर लोगे और यदि प्रायश्षित्तके बिना ही मर गये तो परलोकमें तुम्हें संतप्त होना पड़ेगा
tad rājan jīvamānas tvaṁ prāyaścittaṁ kariṣyasi | prāyaścittam akṛtvā tu pretya taptāsi bhārata ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Maka, wahai raja: jika engkau terus hidup, engkau akan melakukan penebusan dosa (prāyaścitta) bagi perbuatan-perbuatan itu. Tetapi jika engkau mati tanpa melakukannya, maka setelah mati engkau akan menanggung sengsara di alam sana, wahai keturunan Bharata.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrong actions require deliberate expiation while one has the opportunity; otherwise their consequences follow the person beyond death as suffering. The verse emphasizes accountability and the urgency of moral repair.
Vyāsa addresses a king of the Bharata line, warning him that if he survives he should perform prāyaścitta for his deeds, but if he dies without atonement he will suffer in the afterlife.