Shloka 26

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

Devanagari script

प्रेतान्नं सूतिकान्नं च यच्च किंचिदनिर्दशम्‌ । अभोज्यं चाप्यपेयं च धेनोर्दुग्धमनिर्दशम्‌

Transliteration

pretānnaṁ sūtikānnaṁ ca yac ca kiṁcid anirdaśam | abhojyaṁ cāpy apeyaṁ ca dhenor dugdham anirdaśam ||

Translation

Вьяса сказал: «Пища, связанная с нечистотой после смерти (śauca), и пища, связанная с нечистотой после рождения, — и вообще всё, что приходится на первые десять дней такой нечистоты, — не должна быть съедена; и также не должна быть выпита, как, например, коровье молоко в первые десять дней после отёла.»

Word by Word

• प्रेतान्नम्: food connected with a dead person (impure food)
• प्रेतान्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सूतिका-अन्नम्: food connected with childbirth impurity
• सूतिका-अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतिका + अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• किंचित्: anything at all; something
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित्

• अनिर्दशम्: not having completed ten days (within ten days)
• अनिर्दशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिर्दश
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अभोज्यम्: not to be eaten; inedible (forbidden to eat)
• अभोज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभोज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपेयम्: not to be drunk; undrinkable (forbidden to drink)
• अपेयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपेय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• धेनोः: of a cow
• धेनोः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• दुग्धम्: milk
• दुग्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुग्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अनिर्दशम्: within ten days (not ten-days-complete)
• अनिर्दशम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिर्दश
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• pretānna (food during death-impurity)
• sūtikānna (food during birth-impurity)
• dhenu (cow)
• dugdha (milk)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches observance of śauca (ritual purity) by avoiding consumption of food and drink connected with death-impurity or birth-impurity for the first ten days; even a cow’s milk within ten days of calving is to be avoided.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-instructional context, Vyāsa lays down a rule of conduct about what should not be accepted or consumed during prescribed periods of impurity, emphasizing disciplined living and respect for dharmic norms.