Shloka 2
कालनिर्देशः शोकनिवारणं च
Instruction on Kāla and the Removal of Grief
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! किन-किन कर्मोंको करनेसे मनुष्य प्रायश्चित्तका अधिकारी होता है और उनके लिये कौन-सा प्रायश्चित्त करके वह पापसे मुक्त होता है? इस विषयमें यह मुझे बतानेकी कृपा करें ।।
vyāsa uvāca | akurvan vihitaṃ karma pratiṣiddhāni cācaran | prāyaścittīyate hovaṃ naro mithyānuvartayan ||
Vyāsa disse: “Ó rei, um homem torna-se sujeito à expiação (prāyaścitta) quando negligencia os deveres prescritos pelos śāstras e, em vez disso, pratica atos proibidos. Ao seguir tal rumo errado de conduta, incorre em pecado e, por isso, cai no âmbito da prāyaścitta.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person becomes eligible for prāyaścitta (expiation) when they abandon prescribed duties (vihita-karma) and engage in prohibited actions (pratiṣiddha-karma). Ethical accountability is framed as alignment with śāstric injunctions.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, the discussion turns to expiation: Yudhiṣṭhira seeks clarity on when expiation is required, and Vyāsa states the general principle that wrongdoing arises from neglecting what is enjoined and doing what is forbidden.