Shloka 11
Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)
स एव धर्म: सो<धर्मो देशकाले प्रतिष्ठित: । आदानमनृतं हिंसा धर्मो ह्यावस्थिक: स्मृत:
sa eva dharmaḥ so 'dharmaḥ deśa-kāle pratiṣṭhitaḥ | ādānam anṛtaṃ hiṃsā dharmo hy āvasthikaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
Sinabi ni Vyāsa: “Ang iisang gawa ay nagiging dharma o adharma ayon sa lugar at panahon na kinalalagyan nito. Ang pagkuha sa hindi ibinigay, ang pagsasalita ng di-totoo, at maging ang karahasan—bagaman karaniwang hinahatulan—ay inaalala bilang dharma kapag ginawa sa mga natatanging kalagayan.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not always a fixed label attached to an action; the same deed can be righteous or unrighteous depending on deśa (place), kāla (time), and āvasthā (circumstance). Hence even acts normally classed as wrong—taking, lying, or violence—may become duty in exceptional conditions (especially in crisis or governance contexts).
In the Shānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and governance, Vyāsa articulates a principle of contextual judgment: moral evaluation must consider circumstance. This frames later discussions on emergency duty (āpaddharma) and the hard choices faced by rulers and protectors of society.