Shloka 44
Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)
यद् रात्रौ कुरुते पापं ब्राह्मण: स्त्रीगणैर्व॒त: । महाभारतमाख्याय पूर्वा संध्यां प्रमुच्यते
yad rātrau kurute pāpaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ strīgaṇair vṛtaḥ | mahābhāratam ākhyāya pūrvāṃ sandhyāṃ pramucyate ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Anumang kasalanang nagawa ng isang brāhmaṇa sa gabi habang napapaligiran ng pangkat ng mga babae—napapalaya siya mula roon sa pamamagitan ng pagbigkas ng Mahābhārata sa sandhyā ng umaga.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred recitation—specifically of the Mahābhārata—performed at the morning sandhyā is regarded as a powerful means of purification, and it implicitly reinforces the expectation of moral restraint, especially for those held to higher standards of conduct.
Vaiśampāyana states a phalaśruti-style claim about the merit of reciting the Mahābhārata: even sins committed at night (illustrated through the example of a brāhmaṇa amid a group of women) are said to be absolved by recitation at the morning twilight.