Shloka 19
क्रोधात्प्रमादाल्लोभाद्वा व्रतभङ्गो भवेद्यदि / दिनत्रयं न भुञ्जीत शिरसो मुण्डनं भवेत्
krodhātpramādāllobhādvā vratabhaṅgo bhavedyadi / dinatrayaṃ na bhuñjīta śiraso muṇḍanaṃ bhavet
If a vow (vrata) is broken through anger, negligence, or greed, one should abstain from food for three days, and the head should be shaved.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Intentional or negligent breach of vrata generates demerit and disorder; prescribed expiation (three-day fast and shaving) purifies and resets the vow-holder.
Vedantic Theme: Karma as moral causality; tapas as a purifying counter-force; regulation of mind (krodha, pramāda, lobha) as prerequisite for sattva.
Application: If one violates a serious self-imposed discipline due to reactive emotions or greed, adopt a concrete corrective practice: short-term fasting/abstinence, humility markers, and recommitment with mindfulness.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: prāyaścitta rules connected to vrata-bhaṅga and restoration of merit; Garuda Purana: lists of faults (krodha, lobha, pramāda) as causes of adharma
FAQs
This verse frames vow-breaking as a dharmic lapse that should be corrected through a defined atonement—three days of fasting and tonsure—so discipline and ritual purity are restored.
Indirectly: by emphasizing self-control and corrective penance, it supports the broader Garuda Purana theme that ethical and ritual conduct shapes karmic outcomes and one’s post-death trajectory.
Treat commitments and spiritual disciplines seriously; if you fail due to anger, carelessness, or greed, adopt a sincere corrective practice (fasting or restraint and a visible act of humility) and recommit to the vow with greater mindfulness.