श्रीराजोवाच दृष्टश्रुताभ्यां यत्पापं जानन्नप्यात्मनोऽहितम् । करोति भूयो विवश: प्रायश्चित्तमथो कथम् ॥ ९ ॥
sri-rajovaca drsta-srutabhyam yat papam janann apy atmano ’hitam karoti bhuyo vivasah prayascittam atho katham
- sri-raja uvaca
- Pariksit Maharaja replied
- drsta
- by seeing
- srutabhyam
- also by hearing (from the scriptures or lawbooks)
- yat
- since
- papam
- sinful, criminal action
- janan
- knowing
- api
- although
- atmanah
- of his self
- ahitam
- injurious
- karoti
- he acts
- bhuyah
- again and again
- vivasah
- unable to control himself
- prayascittam
- atonement
- atho
- therefore
- katham
- what is the value of.
Maharaja Pariksit said: One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general and because he hears from scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish conditions in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge, one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore, what is the value of such atonement?