Shloka 18
मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite
द्विजेभ्यो वेदवृद्धेभ्य: प्रयतः सुसमाहित: । तेनापोहति धर्मात्मन् दुष्कृतं कर्म पाण्डव
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
dvijebhyo vedavṛddhebhyaḥ prayataḥ susamāhitaḥ |
tenāpohati dharmātman duṣkṛtaṃ karma pāṇḍava ||
ଧର୍ମାତ୍ମନ୍ ପାଣ୍ଡବ! ଯେ ନିୟମଶୀଳ ଓ ସମ୍ୟକ୍ ସମାହିତଚିତ୍ତ ହୋଇ, ନିଜ ବାହୁବଳରେ ଅର୍ଜିତ ଅନ୍ନକୁ ବେଦବୃଦ୍ଧ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନଙ୍କୁ ଯଥାବିଧି ଦାନ କରେ, ସେ ଏହି ଅନ୍ନଦାନର ପ୍ରଭାବରେ ପୂର୍ବକୃତ ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମକୁ ନାଶ କରେ।
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Disciplined, sincere giving—especially offering food to Veda-learned Brāhmaṇas—functions as a moral purifier, removing the stain of prior wrongdoing; charity is framed as part of righteous kṣatriya conduct rather than exploitation.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a Pāṇḍava interlocutor and states a dharma principle: when one, with a composed mind, donates sustenance to Vedic elders, the merit of that act dispels past sinful actions.