Shloka 12

Prāyaścitta for Food-Contact, Social Contact, Aśauca Periods, and Formal Penance Systems

Devanagari script

अन्त्यजोच्छिष्टभुक्च्छुध्येद्द्विजश्चान्द्रायणेन च / चाण्डालन्नं यदा भुङ्क्ते प्रमादादैन्दवञ्चरेत्

Transliteration

antyajocchiṣṭabhukcchudhyeddvijaścāndrāyaṇena ca / cāṇḍālannaṃ yadā bhuṅkte pramādādaindavañcaret

Translation

الـ«دْوِجَ» الذي أكل بقايا طعام «أنتياجا» يتطهر بأداء «تشاندرايانا» (Cāndrāyaṇa). وإن أكل، عن غفلة، طعامَ «تشاندالا» (Caṇḍāla) فعليه أن يلتزم بمراسم «أيندافا» (Aindava) ككفّارة.

Word by Word

• अन्त्यजोच्छिष्टभुक्: one who eats an outcaste’s leftovers
• अन्त्यजोच्छिष्टभुक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्यज (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (धातु)→भुक् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपदसमासः—‘अन्त्यजस्य उच्छिष्टं भुङ्क्ते’ इति

• शुध्येत्: should be purified
• शुध्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• द्विजः: a twice-born
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• आन्द्रायणेन: by the Cāndrāyaṇa (penance)
• आन्द्रायणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आन्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• चाण्डालन्नम्: Caṇḍāla’s food
• चाण्डालन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रमादात्: through negligence/inadvertence
• प्रमादात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ

• ऐन्दवम्: the Aindava penance
• ऐन्दवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐन्दव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रायश्चित्तनाम

• चरेत्: should perform
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Eating antyaja leftovers requires cāndrāyaṇa; eating caṇḍāla food through negligence requires aindava observance—distinguishing ignorance vs heedlessness and degrees of fault.

Vedantic Theme: Ethics of attention (apramāda) as spiritual safeguard; purification as re-establishing sattva for higher pursuits.

Application: Cultivate mindful consumption; when negligence causes a lapse, adopt a stronger corrective practice than for a purely accidental error.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222 (ucchiṣṭa/anna faults and expiations; aindava/cāndrāyaṇa observances)

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Antyaja
• Caṇḍāla

FAQs

What is the importance of prāyaścitta (expiation) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents prāyaścitta as a corrective discipline: specific impurities (like consuming forbidden food) are addressed through defined vows such as Cāndrāyaṇa or Aindava to restore ritual and ethical order.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana?

Indirectly, it supports the text’s broader karma framework: actions—even careless ones—create consequences, and prescribed expiations are shown as means to mitigate fault and maintain dharma that shapes post-death outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate mindfulness in conduct and consumption; where one violates personal or religious discipline, adopt sincere corrective practice (self-restraint, restitution, and renewed commitment) rather than ignoring the lapse.