Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

शूद्रभाजनभोक्ता यः पञ्चगव्यं त्र्युपोषितः / उच्छिष्टं स्पृशते विप्रः श्वसूद्रश्चापराधिकः

Transliteration

śūdrabhājanabhoktā yaḥ pañcagavyaṃ tryupoṣitaḥ / ucchiṣṭaṃ spṛśate vipraḥ śvasūdraścāparādhikaḥ

Translation

من أكل من إناء الشودرَة (Śūdra) فعليه أن يتطهر بالبانتشاغافيا (pañcagavya) مع صيام ثلاثة أيام. والبرهمن (brāhmaṇa) إذا لمس بقايا الطعام (ucchiṣṭa) كان ملومًا؛ وكذلك، في سياق أحكام النجاسة، يُعَدّ الكلبُ والشودرَة من المخالفين.

Word by Word

• शूद्र: of a Śūdra
• शूद्र: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• भाजन: vessel
• भाजन: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• भोक्ता: eater; one who eats
• भोक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तृ (तृच्/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (तृच्—agent noun); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्चगव्यम्: pañcagavya (mixture of five cow-products)
• पञ्चगव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• त्रि: three (nights/days)
• त्रि: Parimāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; (उपोषितः इत्यस्य परिमाणम्)

• उपोषितः: having fasted
• उपोषितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; 'having fasted'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (यः/भोक्ता)

• उच्छिष्टम्: leftovers; defiled food
• उच्छिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् + शिष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; 'leftover/defilement'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्पृशते: touches
• स्पृशते: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्व: of a dog
• श्व: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समासान्त-पद)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अपराधिकः: culpable; offender
• अपराधिकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपराधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Violation of food/vessel purity entails prāyaścitta: pañcagavya with three-day fasting; touching ucchiṣṭa is censured for a brāhmaṇa.

Vedantic Theme: Ethical-ritual accountability (karma) and restoration through expiation; discipline of senses (especially taste) as support for sattva.

Application: Avoid eating from prohibited/defiled vessels; if done, undertake pañcagavya and a three-day fast as expiation; avoid contact with ucchiṣṭa, especially for those observing strict vows.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: dining/household setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222.23-26 (purity rules leading to expiation)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Brāhmaṇa
• Śūdra
• Dog (śva)
• Pañcagavya

FAQs

What is the importance of pañcagavya in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse pañcagavya is prescribed as a prāyaścitta (purificatory remedy) for a specific impurity connected with eating from an impure vessel, showing how ritual purification is used to restore dhārmic cleanliness.

Does this verse describe Yama’s punishments or afterlife suffering?

No—this verse is primarily about āśauca/impurity and prāyaścitta in daily conduct (ācāra), not about Yama’s court or post-death torments.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat food handling as a moral and spiritual discipline: maintain cleanliness, avoid knowingly consuming in contexts considered impure by one’s tradition, and when a lapse occurs, follow one’s accepted purification/atonement practice with sincerity.