Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

कृतपापश्चरेद्रोधे द्वौ पादौ बन्धयन्पशोः / सर्वकृच्छ्रं निपानेस्यात्कान्तारे गृहदाहतः

Transliteration

kṛtapāpaścaredrodhe dvau pādau bandhayanpaśoḥ / sarvakṛcchraṃ nipānesyātkāntāre gṛhadāhataḥ

Translation

Ein Sünder, der im Zorn die beiden Füße eines Tieres fesselt, soll die Buße ‘sarva-kṛcchra’ (alle Härten) vollziehen. Sein Zustand wird wie der eines von Durst Gequälten am Wasserplatz, wie der eines im Wildniswald Verirrten und wie der eines, dessen Haus verbrannt ist.

Word by Word

• कृतपापः: one who has committed sin
• कृतपापः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत-पाप (प्रातिपदिक; कृत (कृ-क्त) + पाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) विशेषणरूपेण

• चरेत्: should practice/undertake
• चरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• रोधे: in confinement/at a barrier (restricted place)
• रोधे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पादौ)

• पादौ: feet
• पादौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• बन्धयन्: binding
• बन्धयन्: Kriya (क्रिया/अनुक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बन्ध् (धातु) (णिच्: बन्धयति)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while binding)

• पशोः: of an animal
• पशोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सर्वकृच्छ्रम्: the full/complete kṛcchra penance
• सर्वकृच्छ्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + कृच्छ्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (to be undertaken)

• निपाने: at a watering place/trough
• निपाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• कान्तारे: in a wilderness/forest
• कान्तारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• गृहदाहतः: from (the sin of) burning a house
• गृहदाहतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह-दाह (प्रातिपदिक; गृह + दाह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (from/owing to house-burning)

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cruel acts done in anger generate intense duḥkha; sarva-kṛcchra penance is prescribed to counteract the karmic stain.

Vedantic Theme: Krodha as rajas-driven bondage; purification through tapas to restore sattva and ethical clarity.

Application: Cultivate anger-management and non-violence toward animals; if harm occurs, accept disciplined corrective practice and reparative action rather than rationalization.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: liminal landscape (water-source; forest)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated linkage of hiṃsā (especially toward cows/animals) with heavy prāyaścitta; Garuda Purana: catalogues of kṛcchra and sarva-kṛcchra as standard expiations

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pashu (animal)

FAQs

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

This verse shows that specific harmful acts—especially cruelty done in anger—create karmic burden that should be countered through defined expiations like sarva-kṛcchra, restoring dharmic balance before one faces post-death consequences.

How does this verse explain the consequences of cruelty toward animals?

By prescribing sarva-kṛcchra for binding an animal’s feet in anger and describing intense hardship (thirst, wilderness, house-burnt misery), the verse frames animal-cruelty as a serious sin that produces severe suffering unless purified.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid anger-based harm or restraint of animals, practice compassion (ahiṃsā), and when one has caused harm, take responsibility through repentance, corrective service, and disciplined self-restraint aligned with dharma.