Shloka 9
मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite
प्रदानानि तु वक्ष्यामि यानि दत्त्वा युधिष्ठिर । नर: कृत्वाप्यकार्याणि ततो धर्मेण युज्यते
pradānāni tu vakṣyāmi yāni dattvā yudhiṣṭhira | naraḥ kṛtvāpy akāryāṇi tato dharmeṇa yujyate ||
“Nay ta sẽ nói về những sự bố thí ấy, hỡi Yudhiṣṭhira—nhờ thực hành chúng mà một người, dẫu đã làm những việc không nên làm, về sau vẫn được nối lại với dharma.”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that specific forms of dāna (giving) have a restorative ethical power: even someone burdened by wrongful actions can, by sincere and proper giving, re-align with dharma and resume a righteous course.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, the speaker addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and announces a forthcoming explanation of particular gifts/charitable acts whose performance helps a person recover moral standing after misconduct.