Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

एष एव तु सर्वेषामकार्याणां विधिर्भवेत्‌ । ब्राह्मणोक्तेन विधिना दृष्टान्तागमहेतु्भि:

Transliteration

eṣa eva tu sarveṣām akāryāṇāṁ vidhir bhavet | brāhmaṇoktena vidhinā dṛṣṭāntāgamahetubhiḥ ||

Translation

此即一切禁行之正则：为净除罪垢，当依此法行赎罪——遵从婆罗门权威所传之仪轨，并以先例为证、以圣传之理据为凭。

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अकार्याणाम्: of improper acts / forbidden deeds
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• विधिः: rule/procedure
• विधिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: should be / may become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्राह्मणोक्तेन: by (the rule) stated by Brahmanas / by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणोक्तेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मण-उक्त
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• विधिना: by the procedure
• विधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• दृष्टान्त: by examples
• दृष्टान्त: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टान्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आगम: by scriptural authority/tradition
• आगम: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• हेतुभिः: by reasons/arguments
• हेतुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brāhmaṇa (Brahmanical authorities/texts)
• Āgama (scriptural tradition)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

For any prohibited or blameworthy action, the proper response is prāyaścitta (expiation) performed according to authoritative Brahmanical procedure, justified by scriptural tradition and supported by examples and reasoning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is laying down a general rule within a dharma-discussion: he summarizes that the same principled method—scripturally grounded expiation—applies broadly to all kinds of wrongful acts.