expression, noun
pangs of conscience; remorse; guilty conscience
A fixed expression referring to the sharp, painful feeling of guilt or regret over one's actions. Often used in formal or literary contexts.
彼は良心の呵責に耐えられず、自首した。
Unable to bear the pangs of conscience, he turned himself in.
良心の呵責を感じながらも、彼は嘘をつき続けた。
Even while feeling remorse, he kept on lying.
Compound of 良心 (conscience) + の (possessive particle) + 呵責 (torment, blame). The term 呵責 originally referred to severe blame or torture, and here it metaphorically describes the torment of a guilty conscience.