Shloka 26

अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्

Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed

Devanagari script

ये दुर्गन्धीनि सेवते तथागन्धा भवन्ति ते । तपश्चर्यापर: सद्यः पापाद्‌ विपरिमुच्यते

Transliteration

ye durgandhīni sevate tathāgandhā bhavanti te | tapaścaryāparaḥ sadyaḥ pāpād viparimucyate ||

Translation

ଯେମାନେ ଦୁର୍ଗନ୍ଧିତ ବସ୍ତୁ ସେବନ କରନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେହିପରି ଦୁର୍ଗନ୍ଧମୟ ହୁଅନ୍ତି। ଏବଂ ଯେ ତପଶ୍ଚର୍ୟାରେ ପରାୟଣ, ସେ ତତ୍କ୍ଷଣାତ୍ ପାପରୁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ମୁକ୍ତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दुर्गन्धीनि: foul-smelling things
• दुर्गन्धीनि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गन्धिन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सेवते: uses/consumes/associates with
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• गन्धाः: odors/scents
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्ति: become/are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तपश्चर्या-परः: devoted to austerity
• तपश्चर्या-परः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपश्चर्या-पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सद्यः: immediately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• विपरिमुच्यते: is completely freed/released
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-परि-मुच्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Passive, Third, Singular

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A person becomes like what they repeatedly consume or associate with; impure habits breed impurity, while tapas—self-restraint and disciplined spiritual effort—purifies and can free one from sin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka delivers a didactic maxim using the analogy of fragrance and stench to explain moral causality and the purifying power of austerity within the Shānti Parva’s broader instruction on dharma and right conduct.