Shloka 49

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

Devanagari script

देवतानां पितृणां च हव्यकव्यविनाशकः । शत्रुरर्थहरो मूर्खो न लोकान्‌ प्राप्तुमहति,“मूर्ख ब्राह्मण देवताओंके यज्ञ और पितरोंके श्राद्धका नाश करनेवाला होता है। वह धनका अपहरण करनेवाला शत्रु है। वह दान देनेवालोंको उत्तम लोकमें नहीं पहुँचा सकता”

Transliteration

devatānāṁ pitṝṇāṁ ca havyakavyavināśakaḥ | śatrur arthaharo mūrkho na lokān prāptum arhati ||

Translation

Vyāsa berkata: “Si bodoh yang memusnahkan persembahan untuk para dewa dan upacara untuk leluhur ialah musuh yang merampas harta. Orang yang sesat demikian tidak layak mencapai alam-alam luhur (yang diperoleh melalui sedekah yang benar dan korban suci yang tepat).”

Word by Word

देवतानाम्of the gods

पितृणाम्of the ancestors (pitṛs)

चand

हव्यकव्यविनाशकःdestroyer of offerings (havis) and śrāddha-offerings (kavya)

शत्रुःan enemy

अर्थहरःstealer of wealth

मूर्खःfoolish

नnot

लोकान्worlds (realms)

प्राप्तुम्to attain

अर्हतिis fit/deserves

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

devatāḥ (gods)

pitaraḥ/pitṛs (ancestors)

havya (yajña oblations)

kavya (śrāddha offerings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One who undermines or destroys sacred offerings—yajña for the gods and śrāddha for the ancestors—acts as a social and spiritual enemy, harming others’ wealth and merit; such conduct disqualifies one from attaining higher realms gained through dharmic giving and ritual duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Vyāsa characterizes the ‘mūrkha’ (deluded person) who disrupts sacrificial and ancestral rites as a destructive force—equated with an enemy and thief—thereby warning against behavior that blocks spiritual progress.