Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

प्रायश्चित्ते कृते दद्याद्गवां ब्राह्मणभोजनम् / क्रीडायां शयनीयादौ नीलीवस्त्रं न दुष्यति

Transliteration

prāyaścitte kṛte dadyādgavāṃ brāhmaṇabhojanam / krīḍāyāṃ śayanīyādau nīlīvastraṃ na duṣyati

Translation

Nach vollzogener Sühne (prāyaścitta) soll man Kühe spenden und die Brāhmaṇas speisen. In Zusammenhängen wie Spiel und Zeitvertreib oder bei Dingen wie Bettzeug und dergleichen gilt blaues Tuch nicht als befleckend und zieht keine Schuld nach sich.

Word by Word

• prāyaścitte: in/when expiation
• prāyaścitte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṛte: when done
• kṛte: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘having been done’

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• gavām: of cows
• gavām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• brāhmaṇabhojanam: feeding of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇabhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्राह्मणानां भोजनम्)

• krīḍāyām: in play/sport
• krīḍāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krīḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• śayanīya-ādau: in bedding and the like
• śayanīya-ādau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śayanīya + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समाहार/समुच्चयार्थे ‘ādau’ (etc.)—तत्पुरुष (शयननीयादिषु)

• nīlīvastram: blue cloth
• nīlīvastram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīlī + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (नीलि-वस्त्रम् = blue cloth)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• duṣyati: is tainted/defiled
• duṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: duṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāyaścitta is completed by dāna and brāhmaṇa-feeding; purity rules admit contextual exceptions.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga orientation: inner correction must be matched by outward restitution and generosity.

Application: After making amends, perform tangible restitution (charity, feeding, service); apply rules with context-sensitive discernment.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna as completion of prāyaścitta; Garuda Purana: brāhmaṇa-bhojana as śuddhi-sealing act

Characters & Entities

• Brahmanas

FAQs

What is the importance of prāyaścitta and charity in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links expiation with restorative acts—especially go-dāna (gift of cows) and brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas)—as a dharmic completion of atonement, not merely a private act of regret.

How does this verse relate to purification and avoidance of ritual faults?

It specifies that certain uses of blue cloth—such as for play or bedding—do not constitute a purity violation, clarifying practical boundaries of what is considered “doṣa” (fault) in daily life.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

After making amends for wrongdoing, pair inner correction with outward generosity (feeding or supporting learned/elderly/priests as appropriate), and follow purity rules with discernment rather than anxiety about harmless, permitted uses.