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. Inclinándome con el saber sagrado y alabando con el poder sacerdotal, el sacrificante ruega con las oblaciones: «Oh Varuṇa, reconócenos aquí; sin ira, no nos arrebates la amplia y pareja medida de vida». Om. «Oh Agni, tú que conoces a Varuṇa, aplaca la cólera divina. Oh el más digno de culto, portador resplandeciente de las ofrendas, fuego llameante: líbranos de todos los odios; svāhā». Om. «Oh Agni, sé nuestro protector más cercano y mejor al despuntar esta aurora. Adorando y complaciendo a Varuṇa, proclama su misericordia; sé benigno con nosotros cuando te invoquemos debidamente». Om. «Oh Aguas y hierbas sanadoras: cualquier daño o falta nacida de nuestro ámbito y conducta, que Varuṇa nos libere. Y cuanto hayamos jurado diciendo “Varuṇa”, de ese vínculo también, oh Varuṇa, desátanos». Om. «Afloja de nosotros el lazo supremo, el inferior y el intermedio de Varuṇa. Entonces, guardando el voto de los Ādityas, seamos sin pecado y pertenezcamos a Aditi (la libertad). Que yo también sea liberado por ti del grillete de Varuṇa». Que toda mancha y culpa sea cortada por todos los lados; que el baño purificatorio nos restaure una y otra vez. Lo hecho por dioses o por hombres: que la mente sea conducida a la concordia; que la visión divina sea adornada y hecha auspiciosa.
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.