Shloka 31

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

श्वादिदष्टस्तु गायत्त्र्या जपाच्छुद्धो भवेन्नरः / दाह्यो लोकाग्निना विप्रश्चाण्डालाद्यैर्हतो ऽग्निमान्

Transliteration

śvādidaṣṭastu gāyattryā japācchuddho bhavennaraḥ / dāhyo lokāgninā vipraścāṇḍālādyairhato 'gnimān

Translation

من عضّه كلبٌ ونحوه يطهر بتكرار جَپَا «غاياتري» (Gāyatrī). أمّا البراهمن الذي يحفظ النار المقدسة، فإذا قُتل على يد تشاندالا (Caṇḍāla) أو من شابهه من المنبوذين، فيُحرَق بجثمانه بـ«نار العالم»، أي النار العامة العادية.

Word by Word

• श्वादिदष्टः: bitten by a dog etc.
• श्वादिदष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वादि (प्रातिपदिक) + दष्ट (दंश्-धातोः क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—श्वादिभिः दष्टः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• गायत्त्र्या: by (recitation of) the Gāyatrī
• गायत्त्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (fem. instr. sg.)

• जपात्: from/through repetition (japa)
• जपात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (masc. abl. sg.); हेतौ (cause)

• शुद्धः: purified
• शुद्धः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should become)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• दाह्यः: to be burnt
• दाह्यः: Karya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दाह्य (दह्-धातोः ण्यत्/यत्, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: to be burnt)

• लोकाग्निना: by the public fire (fire of the community)
• लोकाग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य अग्निः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• चाण्डालाद्यैः: by outcastes such as caṇḍālas
• चाण्डालाद्यैः: Karana/Agent (Instrumental agent/करण-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—चाण्डालः आदिः येषाम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे/समूहवाचक; परन्तु रूपतः तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• हतः: killed
• हतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (हन्-धातोः क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• अग्निमान्: having (the sacred) fire
• अग्निमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective: having fire)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Timing: Immediately at cremation/antyeṣṭi context (cremation protocol).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gāyatrī-japa purifies after dog-bite; special cremation rule applies to an agnihotrin brāhmaṇa killed by a caṇḍāla-like person—use ordinary public fire.

Vedantic Theme: Mantra as purifier (śabda-śakti) and the maintenance of ritual order even amid violent disruption; karma and saṃskāra govern purity transitions.

Application: For minor impurity/fear events, adopt stabilizing spiritual practice (japa); for death rites, follow local dharma guidance on cremation protocols, recognizing historical caste-coded prescriptions as textual artifacts requiring careful, ethical contextualization today.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (purification and funeral protocol context)

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Cāṇḍāla
• Agni (sacred fire)

FAQs

What is the importance of Gāyatrī japa for purification in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Gāyatrī recitation as a direct prāyaścitta (expiation) that removes impurity arising from a dog-bite and similar contaminations, emphasizing mantra-based purification within dharma.

How does this verse explain death-rite procedure in exceptional cases?

It distinguishes ordinary purification (dog-bite) from a special funeral rule: an āhitāgni brāhmaṇa slain by a Cāṇḍāla-like person is cremated using ‘loka-agni’—common fire—signaling an exceptional handling of rites based on the circumstances of death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain a disciplined daily mantra practice (such as Gāyatrī, as appropriate to one’s tradition) for inner and outer purification, and follow one’s śāstric/lineage-guided funeral procedures rather than improvising rites in sensitive situations.