Shloka 95
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
तन्मे सहस्रममितं कस्मान्नेहाजयत् तपः । गरीयान् ब्राह्णवध: सर्वभूतवधाद् यत:
tan me sahasram amitaṁ kasmān nehājayat tapaḥ | garīyān brāhmaṇa-vadhaḥ sarva-bhūta-vadhād yataḥ ||
Nagsagawa ako ng mga pag-aayuno at pagtitika nang sanlibong ulit, lampas sa masukat. Bakit, kung gayon, hindi natalo at nabura ng gayong penitensiya ang munting kasalanang ito sa akin? Sapagkat ang pagpatay sa isang brāhmaṇa ay higit na mabigat—higit na kasuklam-suklam—kaysa pagpatay sa lahat ng iba pang nilalang na may buhay.
दाश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a key dharmic hierarchy of wrongdoing: brahminicide (brāhmaṇa-vadha/brahmahatyā) is treated as an exceptionally grave sin, not easily neutralized even by vast austerities. It highlights that moral weight is not measured only by quantity of harm but also by the protected status and symbolic role of the brāhmaṇa within the dharma-order.
Dāśa speaks in remorse and self-questioning. He claims to have undertaken immense tapas, yet finds that his guilt remains unresolved, and he explains why: the act he is burdened by—killing a brāhmaṇa—is considered heavier than killing other beings, making expiation difficult.