Shloka 36
अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्
Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed
छिद्राणि विवृतान्येव साधूनां चावृणोति यः । यः पाप॑ पुरुष: कृत्वा कल्याणमभिपलद्यते
chidrāṇi vivṛtānyeva sādhūnām cāvṛṇoti yaḥ | yaḥ pāpa-puruṣaḥ kṛtvā kalyāṇam abhipadyate ||
商那迦说道：凡能遮护贤善之人那显露的过失，努力掩藏其暴露的短处者；以及作过罪业而能回头离罪、进入善行者：此二者皆得离罪清净。
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Two actions are presented as purifying: (1) shielding the openly visible faults of virtuous people—protecting them from needless blame—and (2) genuine reform, where a person who has sinned abandons wrongdoing and commits to wholesome conduct. Both lead to freedom from sin.
Śaunaka states an ethical maxim within the Shānti Parva’s instruction on dharma: he highlights the merit of charitable discretion toward the good and the redemptive possibility of turning from sin to righteous action.