Shloka 16
Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)
सुरापानं सकृत् कृत्वा योडग्निवर्णा सुरां पिबेत् । स पावयत्यथात्मानमिह लोके परत्र च,जो एक बार मदिरा-पान करके फिर आगके समान गर्म की हुई मदिरा पी लेता है, वह इहलोक और परलोकमें भी अपनेको पवित्र कर लेता है
surāpānaṃ sakṛt kṛtvā yo 'gnivarṇāṃ surāṃ pibet | sa pāvayaty athātmānam iha loke paratra ca ||
ଯେ ଏକଥର ସୁରାପାନ କରି, ପରେ ଅଗ୍ନିବର୍ଣ୍ଣ—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ଅଗ୍ନି ପରି ତପ୍ତ—ସୁରା ପାନ କରେ, ସେ ଇହଲୋକ ଓ ପରଲୋକ—ଦୁହିଁଠାରେ—ନିଜକୁ ପବିତ୍ର କରେ।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a prescribed expiation (prāyaścitta) for the fault of drinking intoxicants: an extreme, painful act is said to cleanse the offender’s impurity and restore moral-ritual standing, with consequences affecting both this life and the next.
Within the dharma-instructional discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa states a rule-like injunction describing how one who has drunk liquor may undertake a specific expiatory practice—drinking liquor heated to a fire-like state—to achieve purification.