Shloka 127
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
ये पापानि नराः कृत्वा निरस्यन्ति व्रतैः सदा । सुखदुःखसमायुक्ता व्यथितास्ते भवन्त्युत
ye pāpāni narāḥ kṛtvā nirasyanti vrataiḥ sadā | sukhaduḥkhasamāyuktā vyathitās te bhavanty uta ||
Disse Yudhiṣṭhira: “Aqueles homens que cometem pecados e depois, continuamente, procuram lançá-los fora por meio de votos e observâncias permanecem presos à alternância de prazer e dor; ainda assim ficam aflitos. Sua inquietação interior não encontra repouso firme, pois a expiação sem verdadeira reforma deixa intactas as raízes do erro.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Expiatory vows alone do not secure peace if one continues sinful conduct; without genuine inner change and restraint, a person remains trapped in recurring pleasure and pain and lives in ongoing distress.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s dharma-instruction setting, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks about the moral psychology of wrongdoing and atonement, emphasizing that repeated sin followed by ritual remedies still results in suffering.