Shloka 40

Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)

Devanagari script

शुभाशुभफल प्रेत्य लभते भूतसाक्षिकम्‌ | अतिरिच्येत यो यत्र तत्कर्ता लभते फलम्‌,मनुष्य शुभ और अशुभ जो कर्म करता है, उसके पाँच महाभूत साक्षी होते हैं। उन शुभ और अशुभ कर्मोका फल मृत्युके पश्चात्‌ उसे प्राप्त होता है। उन दोनों प्रकारके कर्मोंमें जो अधिक होता है, उसीका फल कर्ताको प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

śubhāśubha-phalaṁ pretya labhate bhūta-sākṣikam | atiricyeta yo yatra tat-kartā labhate phalam ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vyāsa: Pagkaraan ng kamatayan, tinatanggap ng tao ang bunga ng kanyang mabuti at masamang gawa, at ang limang dakilang elemento ang tumatayong mga saksi. At sa dalawang iyon—merito at kasalanan—alinman ang mas nangingibabaw sa isang pagkakataon, iyon ang pangunahing matatamo ng gumawa.

Word by Word

शुभाशुभफलम्the fruit of good and evil (deeds)

प्रेत्यafter death; having departed

लभतेobtains

भूतसाक्षिकम्having the beings/elements as witnesses

अतिरिच्येतwould exceed; be greater

यःwhich; that which

यत्रwhere; in which case

तत्that

कर्ताthe doer; agent

लभतेobtains

फलम्fruit; result

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

pañca mahābhūta (five great elements)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions have inevitable consequences that mature after death; the cosmos itself—symbolized by the five great elements—bears witness, and the predominant weight of one’s merit or demerit determines the chief result experienced.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Vyāsa states a principle of karmic accounting: good and bad deeds are witnessed by the elements and yield their fruits in the post-mortem state, with the stronger side (good or evil) shaping the outcome.