Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

अभोज्यानां तु सर्वेषां भुक्त्वा चान्नमुपस्कृतम् / अन्तावसायिनां चैव तप्तकृच्छ्रेण शुद्ध्यति

Transliteration

abhojyānāṃ tu sarveṣāṃ bhuktvā cānnamupaskṛtam / antāvasāyināṃ caiva taptakṛcchreṇa śuddhyati

Translation

Wer irgendeine der verbotenen Speisen gegessen hat, oder Speise, die im Zusammenhang mit den sogenannten antyāvasāyin (den am stärksten Ausgeschlossenen) zubereitet und dadurch verunreinigt wurde, der wird durch die Buße namens Taptakṛcchra gereinigt.

Word by Word

• अभोज्यानाम्: of the forbidden (to be eaten)
• अभोज्यानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; of forbidden foods/people)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘अभोज्य’ = न भोज्यः (inedible/forbidden to eat)

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

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अभोज्यानाम्)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकाल

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

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म; object of eating)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उपस्कृतम्: prepared/seasoned
• उपस्कृतम्: Karma (कर्म; as qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-स्कृ (धातु) → उपस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अन्नम्)

• अन्तावसायिनाम्: of outcastes (antyāvasāyins)
• अन्तावसायिनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; of outcastes)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अन्त्याः अवसायिनः—‘outcaste/low-dwelling’)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• तप्त-कृच्छ्रेण: by the taptakṛcchra penance
• तप्त-कृच्छ्रेण: Karaṇa (करण; means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (तप्तं कृच्छ्रं—‘heated/severe penance’)

• शुद्ध्यति: is purified
• शुद्ध्यति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-śāstra teaching in the sages’ dialogue frame

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Dharma
• Prāyaścitta
• Taptakṛcchra

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does not directly define Ātman; it teaches dharmic purification (śuddhi) through prāyaścitta, implying that inner and outer discipline supports clarity needed for higher knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No meditation technique is taught here; the verse emphasizes tapas in the form of Taptakṛcchra—an austere, heat/discipline-based penance—aligning with the Purana’s broader stress on tapas as a support for spiritual practice.

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

It does not explicitly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it belongs to the dharma/prāyaścitta layer of the text that undergirds the Purana’s later synthetic theology and yoga teachings.