Shloka 38
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament for Karṇa and Renunciation-Oriented Self-Assessment (शोक-प्रलापः / त्याग-प्रवृत्तिः)
त्यागवांश्व पुनः पापं नालंकर्तुमिति श्रुति: । त्यागवाञ्जन्ममरणे नाप्रोतीति श्रुतिर्यदा
tyāgavāṃś ca punaḥ pāpaṃ nālaṅkartum iti śrutiḥ | tyāgavāñ janma-maraṇe nāprāpnotīti śrutir yadā ||
尤提士提罗说道：“《圣闻》（Śruti）宣示：已行舍离之人，不可再把罪业当作‘装饰’来佩戴——不可有意将其作为生活之道。可同一《圣闻》又说，舍离者不堕入生死轮回；那么，这两种教诲应当如何合并理解？”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Renunciation is presented as ethically transformative: a true renouncer should not deliberately return to sinful conduct, and renunciation is linked—per śruti—to freedom from the bondage of repeated birth and death. The verse frames a doctrinal question about how these scriptural claims cohere.
In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse setting, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a pointed inquiry about scriptural authority: he cites śruti statements on the renouncer’s relation to sin and to saṃsāra, seeking clarification on their precise meaning and implications.