Shloka 16
Snāna-Śauca Krama: Varuṇa–Āpaḥ Mantras, Aghamarṣaṇa, Sūrya-Upasthāna, and Sarva-Tarpaṇa
ॐ तत्त्वयामि ब्रह्मणा वन्दमानस्तदाशास्ते यजमानो हविर्भिः / अहेडमानो वरुणेह बोध्युरुशं समान आयुः प्रमोषीः / ॐ त्वन्नो अग्ने वरुणस्य विद्वान्देवस्य हेडो अवयासिसीष्ठाः / यजिष्ठो वह्नितमः शोशुचानो विश्वा द्वेषांसिप्रमुमुग्ध्यस्मत्स्वाहा / ॐ स त्वन्नो अग्नेवमो भवती नेदिष्ठो अस्या उषसोव्युष्टौ / अवयक्ष्वनो वरुणं रराणो वीहिमृडीकं सुहवो न एधि / ॐ आपो नौषधि हिंसार्धम्नो राजस्ततो वरुणो नोमुञ्चा यदाहरघ्न्या इति वरुणेति शपार्महे ततो वरुण नो मुञ्च / ॐ उदुत्तमं वरुण पाशमस्मदवाधमं विमध्यमंश्रथाय / अथावयमादित्यव्रते तवानागसो अदितये स्याम / मुञ्चन्तुमामप्यथाद्वरुणस्य त्वत् / अहो यमस्य पत्नीमानः सर्वस्मादेव किल्बिषात् / अवभृथनिचं पुनर्विचेरुसि नित्यं प्रन्नः / अवदेवैर्देवकृता मनोयासि समवत्यै कृतं पुष्पाच्छा देवधीमल्पाही
oṃ tattvayāmi brahmaṇā vandamānastadāśāste yajamāno havirbhiḥ / aheḍamāno varuṇeha bodhyuruśaṃ samāna āyuḥ pramoṣīḥ / oṃ tvanno agne varuṇasya vidvāndevasya heḍo avayāsisīṣṭhāḥ / yajiṣṭho vahnitamaḥ śośucāno viśvā dveṣāṃsipramumugdhyasmatsvāhā / oṃ sa tvanno agnevamo bhavatī nediṣṭho asyā uṣasovyuṣṭau / avayakṣvano varuṇaṃ rarāṇo vīhimṛḍīkaṃ suhavo na edhi / oṃ āpo nauṣadhi hiṃsārdhamno rājastato varuṇo nomuñcā yadāharaghnyā iti varuṇeti śapārmahe tato varuṇa no muñca / oṃ uduttamaṃ varuṇa pāśamasmadavādhamaṃ vimadhyamaṃśrathāya / athāvayamādityavrate tavānāgaso aditaye syāma / muñcantumāmapyathādvaruṇasya tvat / aho yamasya patnīmānaḥ sarvasmādeva kilbiṣāt / avabhṛthanicaṃ punarvicerusi nityaṃ prannaḥ / avadevairdevakṛtā manoyāsi samavatyai kṛtaṃ puṣpācchā devadhīmalpāhī
Om. Bowing with sacred knowledge and praising with priestly power, the sacrificer prays with oblations: “O Varuṇa, be aware of us here; without anger, do not rob us of our wide and equal span of life.” Om. “O Agni, knower of Varuṇa—appease the divine wrath. O most worshipful, radiant bearer of offerings, blazing fire—release from us all hatreds; svāhā.” Om. “O Agni, be our nearest and best protector at the dawning of this morning. Worshipping and delighting Varuṇa, proclaim his mercy; be gracious to us when well invoked.” Om. “O Waters and healing herbs—whatever harm or fault has arisen from our sphere and conduct, may Varuṇa release us. Whatever we have sworn by saying ‘Varuṇa’—from that bond too, O Varuṇa, set us free.” Om. “Loosen from us the highest, the lowest, and the middle noose of Varuṇa. Then, observing the vow of the Ādityas, may we be sinless and belong to Aditi (freedom). May I too be released by you from Varuṇa’s fetter.” May every taint and wrongdoing be cut away from every side; may the purificatory bath restore us again and again. What has been done by gods or by men—may the mind be led to concord; may divine insight be adorned and made auspicious.
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda; the verse cites Vedic Varuṇa–Agni mantras used in śānti/prāyaścitta contexts)
Concept: Human faults bind (pāśa); through truth-aligned vows (Āditya-vrata), confession, and divine grace mediated by Agni and Waters, bonds are loosened and life-span protected.
Vedantic Theme: Bandha–mokṣa imagery (bond and release) within karma-kāṇḍa; movement from guilt/constraint to freedom (aditi) and inner concord (saṃvatti).
Application: When burdened by guilt, repair vows, seek forgiveness, perform purificatory disciplines, and actively dissolve hostility; treat ‘release from bonds’ as both moral restitution and inner letting-go.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: yajna + avabhṛtha waterside (ritual completion zone)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.214.14-15 (Varuṇa abhiṣeka and avabhṛtha mantras); Garuda Purana 1.214.17 (post-immersion ācamana and darbha application)
FAQs
This verse treats Varuṇa’s “pāśa” as the karmic and oath-bound fetter; the prayer asks to loosen the highest, middle, and lowest bonds so the practitioner becomes “anāgasaḥ” (blameless) and spiritually unbound (Aditi).
It strings together Vedic śānti/prāyaścitta mantras invoking Agni, Waters, and Herbs to appease divine displeasure, dissolve enmities, and cleanse “kilbiṣa” (taint), culminating in imagery of avabhṛtha (purificatory bathing).
Keep vows carefully, repair breaches through confession and restitution, and adopt daily purification practices (truthfulness, non-harm, prayer/recitation, and mindful conduct) aimed at reducing “pāśa”—the binding power of guilt, deceit, and broken commitments.