Shloka 51
Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तो भगवता धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । चिन्तयित्वा मुहूर्तेन प्रत्युवाच तपोधनम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! भगवान् व्यासके ऐसा कहनेपर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिने दो घड़ीतक कुछ सोच-विचार करके तपोधन व्यासजीसे इस प्रकार कहा
vaiśampāyana uvāca evam ukto bhagavatā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | cintayitvā muhūrtena pratyuvāca tapodhanam ||
ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—โอ้ชนเมชยะ! ครั้นภควานวยาสะตรัสดังนี้แล้ว ธรรมราชยุธิษฐิระได้ใคร่ครวญอยู่ชั่วขณะ แล้วจึงทูลตอบท่านผู้เป็นขุมทรัพย์แห่งตบะ (วยาสะ) ดังนี้
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic mode of response: before speaking, a righteous person pauses to reflect. Ethical speech is portrayed as deliberate and guided by reverence for wise counsel.
After being addressed by the venerable sage (Vyāsa), Yudhiṣṭhira thinks briefly and then begins his reply. The narrator Vaiśampāyana marks the transition from instruction to Yudhiṣṭhira’s considered response.