Shloka 15

Prāyaścitta: Catalogue of Sins, Narakas, and Graded Expiations

Kṛcchra–Cāndrāyaṇa–Japa

Devanagari script

पितृमातृसुहृत्त्यागस्तडागारामविक्रयः / कन्यायादूषण चैव परिविन्दकयाजनम्

Transliteration

pitṛmātṛsuhṛttyāgastaḍāgārāmavikrayaḥ / kanyāyādūṣaṇa caiva parivindakayājanam

Translation

Vater, Mutter und wohlmeinende Freunde verlassen; Teiche und Lusthaine verkaufen; ein Mädchen entehren; und als Priester ein yajña für einen „parivindaka“ vollziehen—all dies wird zu den verwerflichen Handlungen gezählt.

Word by Word

• पितृमातृसुहृत्: of father, mother, and friends
• पितृमातृसुहृत्: Sambandha (Genitive-in-compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + सुहृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-समूहः); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• त्यागः: abandonment
• त्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तडागारामविक्रयः: sale of ponds and gardens
• तडागारामविक्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक) + आराम (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तडाग-आरामयोः विक्रयः)

• कन्याया: of a maiden/daughter
• कन्याया: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दूषणम्: defilement; corruption
• दूषणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• परिविन्दकयाजनम्: officiating as priest for a parivindaka
• परिविन्दकयाजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिविन्दक (प्रातिपदिक) + याजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परिविन्दकस्य याजनम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Abandoning parents and well-wishers, selling communal/sacred resources (ponds, groves), corrupting a maiden, and officiating for a parivindaka are blameworthy, undermining gratitude, social welfare, and ritual purity.

Vedantic Theme: Seva and gratitude purify the heart (citta-shuddhi); betrayal and exploitation thicken egoism (ahamkara) and bind karma.

Application: Care for parents/guardians; protect community resources; uphold sexual ethics and guardianship; maintain priestly integrity and avoid enabling adharma through ritual services.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: pitri-related teachings elsewhere elevate service to parents and proper conduct as prerequisite for auspicious rites; Garuda Purana: dharma lists condemning kr̥taghnata (ingratitude) and sexual misconduct (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ (father)
• Mātṛ (mother)
• Suhṛt (well-wishers)

FAQs

What is the importance of listing such acts in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a dharma-checklist: it identifies specific social, familial, and ritual violations that generate negative karma and are treated as blameworthy conduct.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s post-death journey in the Garuda Purana?

In the Garuda Purana’s moral framework, such actions become karmic causes that shape the jīva’s post-death experiences and the consequences administered in Yama’s domain.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain duties toward parents and supporters, avoid commodifying community/sacred resources, uphold sexual ethics and protection of women, and ensure ritual/religious services are performed in accordance with dharma.