Shloka 77

Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni

Devanagari script

बुद्धिपूर्वं त्वभ्युदितो जपेदन्तर्जले द्विजः / गायत्र्यष्टसहस्रं तु त्र्यहं चोपवसेद् व्रती

Transliteration

buddhipūrvaṃ tvabhyudito japedantarjale dvijaḥ / gāyatryaṣṭasahasraṃ tu tryahaṃ copavased vratī

Translation

ينهضُ ذو الولادتين قبل طلوع الشمس بعزمٍ واعٍ، ويؤدي الجَپَ (japa) وهو قائمٌ في الماء. وبصفته صاحب نذرٍ (vratī) يكرر غاياتري ثمانية آلاف مرة، ويصوم كذلك ثلاثة أيام.

Word by Word

• बुद्धि-पूर्वम्: deliberately/with prior intention
• बुद्धि-पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial): ‘बुद्ध्या पूर्वम्/पूर्वकं’ (with prior intention/knowingly)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक

• अभ्युदितः: having risen (at dawn)
• अभ्युदितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-उद्√इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘उत्थितः/उदितः’ (risen)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्तः-जले: in water (while immersed)
• अन्तः-जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः: ‘जले अन्तः’ (within water)

• द्विजः: a twice-born (Brahmin etc.)
• द्विजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• गायत्री-अष्ट-सहस्रम्: eight thousand (Gayatrī recitations)
• गायत्री-अष्ट-सहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical): ‘अष्ट सहस्रं गायत्र्याः (जपः)’ = eight thousand (Gayatrī recitations)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक

• त्र्यहम्: for three days
• त्र्यहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः: ‘त्रीणि अहानि’ (three days)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• उपवसेत्: should fast/observe abstinence
• उपवसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप√वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• व्रती: the vow-observer
• व्रती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; व्रतधारी (one observing a vow)

Speaker

Traditional narrator in the Kurma Purana (instructional passage on dharma for the dvija)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri
• Dvija
• Upavasa

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it presents disciplined japa, purity, and fasting as preparatory means (sādhana) to steady the intellect and refine awareness—conditions traditionally held to support realization of the Self beyond ritual.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Mantra-yoga through Gāyatrī-japa, performed with saṅkalpa (buddhipūrva) and bodily purification (standing in water), paired with tapas in the form of a three-day upavāsa—classic purificatory supports for dhyāna and inner steadiness.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not name Śiva or Viṣṇu directly; instead, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared dharma-yoga framework where mantra, tapas, and purity function as common means within the text’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.