Shloka 9

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide

Devanagari script

तपसापनुनुत्सुस्तु सुवर्णस्तेयजं मलम् / चीरवासा द्विजो ऽरण्ये चरेद् ब्रह्महणो व्रतम्

Transliteration

tapasāpanunutsustu suvarṇasteyajaṃ malam / cīravāsā dvijo 'raṇye cared brahmahaṇo vratam

Translation

Der Zweimalgeborene, der durch Askese den Makel des Golddiebstahls verbrennen will, soll in Rindenkleidern im Wald wohnen und das Gelübde auf sich nehmen, das für den Töter eines Brāhmaṇa vorgeschrieben ist.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपनुनुत्सुः: wishing to remove
• अपनुनुत्सुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-नुद् (धातु) + सुँ (कृत्-प्रत्यय, इच्छार्थे)
• Form: इच्छार्थक-विशेषण (Desiderative adjectival), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• सुवर्ण-स्तेय-जम्: born of gold-theft
• सुवर्ण-स्तेय-जम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तेय (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘सुवर्णस्य स्तेयम्’ तस्मात् ‘जम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मलम्: impurity/sin-stain
• मलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चीर-वासा: wearing bark-garments
• चीर-वासा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस्/वासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘चीरं वासो यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• ब्रह्म-हणः: slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्म-हणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु-आधारित प्रातिपदिक ‘हण’)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्रह्मणः हन्ता’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्रतम्: vow/penance
• व्रतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the dharma-teachings of the Kurma Purana in a prāyaścitta context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Brahmahaṇ (Brahmin-slayer vow)
• Tapas (austerity)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it treats sin as a removable “mala” (impurity) that can be burned away through disciplined tapas, aligning with the Purāṇic view that inner purification prepares one for Atman-realization and God-knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes tapas (austerity) and niyama-like discipline: renunciant simplicity (bark garments), forest-dwelling, and sustained vrata (vowed observance). In Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such purification supports higher sādhanā, including devotional concentration and yogic restraint.

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

This specific verse is primarily dharma-prāyaścitta focused and does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, its stress on tapas and purification fits the Kurma Purana’s integrated framework where ethical discipline supports both Vaiṣṇava devotion and Śaiva-yogic purification.