Shloka 60

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

Devanagari script

तैलादिघृतमाध्वीकं पण्यद्रव्यं द्रवस्तथा / एकभक्तं क्रमान्नक्तं एकैकाहमयाचितम् / उपवासः पादकृच्छ्रं कृच्छार्धद्विगुणं हि यत्

Transliteration

tailādighṛtamādhvīkaṃ paṇyadravyaṃ dravastathā / ekabhaktaṃ kramānnaktaṃ ekaikāhamayācitam / upavāsaḥ pādakṛcchraṃ kṛcchārdhadviguṇaṃ hi yat

Translation

Oil and the like—ghee and honey—together with saleable goods and liquids (when taken under a regulated diet) are included among expiatory observances. Eating once a day (ekabhakta), then taking food only at night in due order (krama-nakta), and living one day at a time without asking (ayācita) are disciplines of restraint. A full fast (upavāsa) is said to be a quarter of the Kṛcchra; and what counts as half a Kṛcchra is regarded as twice that measure.

Word by Word

• tailādi-ghṛta-mādhvīkam: oil etc., ghee, and honey-wine (mādhvīka)
• tailādi-ghṛta-mādhvīkam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taila + ādi + ghṛta + mādhvīka (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—‘तैलादि’ (तैलम् आदि यस्य/तैल-आदि = समाहार), ततः घृत-माध्वीक (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)

• paṇyadravyam: merchandise/marketable goods
• paṇyadravyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇya + dravya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—पण्यं द्रव्यम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष)

• dravaḥ: liquid/flowing substance
• dravaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: drava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise/also’)

• ekabhaktam: single meal (once-a-day eating)
• ekabhaktam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—एकं भक्तम् (कर्मधारय)

• kramān-naktam: night-meal in due order/sequence
• kramān-naktam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama + naktam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—क्रमेण नक्तम् (अव्ययीभाव: ‘in sequence at night’)

• ekaikāham: day by day / each single day
• ekaikāham: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka + eka + aha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: ‘each day’)

• ayācitam: unasked/unsolicited (food)
• ayācitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + yācita (कृदन्त; √yāc ‘याच्’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ (not begged)

• upavāsaḥ: fasting
• upavāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pādakṛcchram: a quarter-kṛcchra (a reduced penance)
• pādakṛcchram: Visheshya (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda + kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—पादेन तुल्यं/पादमात्रं कृच्छ्रम् (तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• kṛcchārdhadviguṇam: twice of half a kṛcchra
• kṛcchārdhadviguṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛcchra + ardha + dviguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कृच्छ्रस्य अर्धं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + द्विगुणम् (द्विगुण-विशेषण)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative connector)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāyaścitta is operationalized through graded dietary restraints (ekabhakta, krama-nakta, ayācita) and quantified fasting within kṛcchra measures.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-śuddhi leading to antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi; tapas as a means to reduce rajas/tamas and stabilize sattva for higher pursuit.

Application: Adopt structured restraint (meal timing, simplicity, non-demanding intake) as corrective discipline after ethical lapses; keep it measured and time-bound.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: hermitage/household observance space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222.61-62 (Prājāpatya, Kṛcchra, Mahā-sāntapana, Taptakṛcchra)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of Kṛcchra and fasting (upavāsa) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats fasting and regulated eating as formal measures of expiation (prāyaścitta), quantifying upavāsa as a defined fraction of the Kṛcchra penance to discipline desire and reduce karmic stain.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana context?

By prescribing prāyaścitta through restraint, it implies that ethical purification in life lessens the burdens that follow the jīva after death, aligning conduct with dharma before encountering post-mortem judgment themes elsewhere in the text.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Adopt measured self-discipline—such as occasional fasting, simplified meals, and avoiding dependence on solicitation—paired with ethical living, as a way to cultivate restraint and accountability.