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Shloka 39

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

सर्वांश्चतुष्पदान्हत्वा अहोरात्रो षितो जपेत् / शूद्रं हत्वा चरेत्कृच्छ्रमतिकृच्छ्रं तु वैश्यहा / क्षत्त्रं चान्द्रायणं विप्रं द्वाविंशात्रिंशमाहरे (वहे) त्

Transliteration

sarvāṃścatuṣpadānhatvā ahorātro ṣito japet / śūdraṃ hatvā caretkṛcchramatikṛcchraṃ tu vaiśyahā / kṣattraṃ cāndrāyaṇaṃ vipraṃ dvāviṃśātriṃśamāhare (vahe) t

Translation

Après avoir tué quelque quadrupède que ce soit, qu’il fasse le japa (récitation de mantras) en jeûnant un jour et une nuit entiers. Après avoir tué un Śūdra, qu’il observe la pénitence Kṛcchra ; mais celui qui a tué un Vaiśya doit accomplir l’Atikṛcchra. Pour avoir tué un Kṣatriya, qu’il observe le vœu Cāndrāyaṇa ; et pour avoir tué un Brāhmaṇa, qu’il entreprenne une expiation de vingt-deux ou vingt-trois jours, selon la règle.

Word by Word
सर्वान्all
सर्वान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण
चतुष्पदान्four-footed animals
चतुष्पदान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचतुष्पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), बहुवचन
हत्वाhaving killed
हत्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय-भाव
अहोरात्रःa day and night (period)
अहोरात्रः:
Karma (Measure/कर्म-परिमाण)
TypeNoun
Rootअहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन
उषितःhaving stayed (for that period)
उषितः:
Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootवस् (धातु)
Formक्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘उषित’ = वसित/स्थित (having stayed/observed)
जपेत्should recite (japa)
जपेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजप् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
शूद्रम्a Śūdra
शूद्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन
हत्वाhaving killed
हत्वा:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय-भाव
चरेत्should perform/undertake
चरेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootचर् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
कृच्छ्रम्the Kṛcchra penance
कृच्छ्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन
अतिकृच्छ्रम्the Ati-kṛcchra penance
अतिकृच्छ्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअति + कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन; उपसर्ग-तत्पुरुषः (intensified): अतिकृच्छ्र
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)
वैश्यहाone who kills a Vaiśya
वैश्यहा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवैश्य + हन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: वैश्यं हन्ति इति (killer of a Vaiśya)
क्षत्त्रम्a Kṣatriya
क्षत्त्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन (here: ‘kṣatriya’ as class/term)
चान्द्रायणम्the Cāndrāyaṇa penance
चान्द्रायणम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन
विप्रम्a Brāhmaṇa
विप्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन
द्वाविंशात्रिंशम्(a period of) twenty-two and thirty (days)
द्वाविंशात्रिंशम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वाविंशति + त्रिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-द्वन्द्वः (copulative number): 22 and 30 (days/units implied)
आहरेत्should undertake/perform
आहरेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + हृ (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa / Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāyaścitta is graded by the severity/object of harm; japa, fasting, and vows are instruments to restore dharmic standing.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s ethical weight varies with intention/object; purification disciplines the mind and reinscribes dharma, though ultimate liberation requires deeper transformation.

Application: Adopt non-violence; if grave wrongdoing occurs, seek rigorous, sustained atonement and reform under competent guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107.38 (ahorātra purification); Garuda Purana 1.108.1–2 (transition to nīti/dharma instruction)

Characters & Entities
V
Viṣṇu
G
Garuḍa
Ś
Śūdra
V
Vaiśya
K
Kṣatriya
B
Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

This verse shows that harmful actions—especially killing—are addressed through graded penances (japa, Kṛcchra, Atikṛcchra, Cāndrāyaṇa), emphasizing ethical restraint and ritual-ethical correction of karmic fault.

By prescribing increasingly severe penances for killing beings of different social categories (and animals), the text frames killing as a grave karmic act requiring deliberate self-discipline to counteract the moral and spiritual damage.

Adopt non-violence and accountability: avoid harm to living beings, and when wrongdoing occurs, respond with sincere corrective action—self-restraint, repentance, spiritual practice (japa), and ethical reform.

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