Shloka 2

Prāyaścitta for Faults (Water/Fire/Confinement), Child Culpability, and Purification in Menstruation and Illness-Contact

Devanagari script

ऊनद्वादशवर्षस्य चतुर्वर्षाधिकस्य च / प्रायश्चित्तं चरेन्माता पिता वान्यो ऽपि बान्धवः

Transliteration

ūnadvādaśavarṣasya caturvarṣādhikasya ca / prāyaścittaṃ carenmātā pitā vānyo 'pi bāndhavaḥ

Translation

Para quien no ha cumplido doce años, y también para quien ha pasado de los cuatro años, la madre, el padre o cualquier otro pariente debe realizar el prāyaścitta prescrito (rito de expiación) en su nombre.

Word by Word

• ऊन: less than, deficient by
• ऊन: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• वर्षस्य: of (one) year/age
• वर्षस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुर्वर्ष: of four years
• चतुर्वर्ष: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु: 'four years'

• अधिकस्य: of one who is over (that)
• अधिकस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव (contextual), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); used with वर्ष (implied)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation, penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायः + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'expiation'

• चरेत्: should perform
• चरेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• माता: mother
• माता: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पिता: father
• पिता: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• बान्धवः: a relative
• बान्धवः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Guardians bear ritual responsibility for a minor’s expiation; agency and accountability are age-conditioned.

Vedantic Theme: Karma operates with adhikāra (eligibility); dharma assigns duties according to capacity and stage of life.

Application: For children, parents/guardians should address mistakes through guidance, restitution, and appropriate rites rather than punitive blame.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: prāyaścitta eligibility rules; age-based adhikāra discussed in dharma portions

Characters & Entities

• Mother
• Father
• Relatives
• Child (minor)

FAQs

What is the importance of prāyaścitta for minors in the Garuda Purana?

This verse assigns responsibility to guardians: when a child is not fully accountable or capable of ritual performance, parents (or relatives) must undertake expiation so the child’s dharmic standing is protected.

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

By emphasizing expiation and guardianship, it supports the Purana’s broader theme that unresolved demerit (pāpa) affects post-death consequences; timely prāyaścitta helps prevent adverse outcomes in the afterlife narrative.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Guardians should take ethical and corrective responsibility for a child’s misdeeds—through guidance, restitution, and appropriate religious observances—rather than placing the burden solely on the child.