Shloka 44

Devanagari script

भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषु चान्येषु वाच्यावाच्ये तथैव च । अज्ञानज्ञानयो राजन्‌ विहितान्यनुजानतः,राजन! भक्ष्य, अभक्ष्य, वाच्य और अवाच्य तथा जान-बूझकर और बिना जाने किये हुए पापोंके लिये ये प्रायश्चित्त कहे गये हैं। विज्ञ पुरुषको समझकर इनका अनुष्ठान करना चहिये

Transliteration

bhakṣyābhakṣyeṣu cānyeṣu vācyāvācye tathaiva ca | ajñānajñānayo rājan vihitāny anujānataḥ ||

Translation

రాజా! భక్ష్య-అభక్ష్య విషయాలలో, వాచ్య-అవాచ్య విషయాలలో, అలాగే తెలిసి చేసినవీ తెలియక చేసినవీ అయిన పాపాల కోసం ఈ ప్రాయశ్చిత్తాలు విధించబడ్డాయి. వివేకి పురుషుడు నియమానుసారం అర్థం చేసుకొని వీటిని ఆచరించాలి.

Word by Word

भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषुin (matters of) edible and inedible (things)

चand

अन्येषुin other (matters/things)

वाच्यावाच्येin (matters of) what should be said and what should not be said

तथाlikewise

एवindeed/just

चand

अज्ञानज्ञानयोःof ignorance and knowledge (i.e., unknowing and knowing)

राजन्O king

विहितानिprescribed/ordained

अनुजानतःof one who permits/assents (knowingly)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Rājan (the King)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Expiations are graded and prescribed for different kinds of lapses—dietary, verbal, and moral—taking into account whether the act was done knowingly or unknowingly; therefore one should perform prāyaścitta with understanding and in accordance with authorized scriptural procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa addresses the king and summarizes that the previously described prāyaścittas apply broadly to violations of food and speech rules, as well as to sins committed with or without awareness, emphasizing disciplined, duly sanctioned observance.