Shloka 20

कालनिर्देशः शोकनिवारणं च

Instruction on Kāla and the Removal of Grief

Devanagari script

प्राणात्यये तथाज्ञानादाचरन्मदिरामपि । आदेशितो धर्मपरै: पुन: संस्कारमरहति,अनजानमें अथवा प्राणसंकटके समय भी यदि मदिरापान कर ले तो बादमें धर्मात्मा पुरुषोंकी आज्ञाके अनुसार उसका पुनः संस्कार होना चाहिये

Transliteration

prāṇātyaye tathājñānād ācaran madirām api | ādeśito dharmaparaiḥ punaḥ saṃskāram arhati ||

Translation

உயிர்க்கு ஆபத்து நேர்ந்தபோதோ, அறியாமையாலோ ஒருவர் மதுபானம் செய்தாலும், தர்மநெறியுடையோர் ஆணைப்படி பின்னர் அவர் மறுச்சம்ஸ்காரம் (சுத்திகரணச் சடங்கு) பெறத் தகுதியுடையவர் ஆவார்.

Word by Word

प्राणात्ययेin danger of life / at the time of life-threatening crisis

तथाlikewise / also

अज्ञानात्from ignorance / out of ignorance

आचरन्doing / committing / practicing

मदिराम्liquor / wine

अपिeven / also

आदेशितःhaving been instructed / enjoined

धर्मपरैःby the righteous / by those devoted to dharma

पुनःagain

संस्कारम्purificatory rite / re-sanctification

अर्हतिdeserves / is fit (to receive)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

madirā (intoxicating liquor)

dharmaparāḥ (righteous authorities)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral responsibility is assessed with attention to intention and necessity: acts like drinking liquor, normally censured, may be mitigated when done unknowingly or under threat to life, and the person can be ethically restored through prescribed re-sanctification under the guidance of dharma-minded authorities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa states a rule within a dharma-discussion: if someone has consumed liquor due to ignorance or in a life-threatening emergency, then, upon the instruction of righteous elders/authorities, that person is eligible for a subsequent saṃskāra (restorative rite) to re-establish purity and social-religious standing.