Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 66

Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna

Devanagari script

यतस्ततश्चोपनिन्ये न्यायतोऽन्यायतो धनम् । बभारास्या: कुटुम्बिन्या: कुटुम्बं मन्दधीरयम् ॥ ६६ ॥

Transliteration

yatas tataś copaninye nyāyato ’nyāyato dhanam babhārāsyāḥ kuṭumbinyāḥ kuṭumbaṁ manda-dhīr ayam

Translation

婆羅門の家に生まれながら、遊女との交わりで知恵を失い、正邪を問わず何とか金を得て、その女とその息子娘を含む家族を養った。

Synonyms

• yataḥ: from wherever
• yataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: सम्बन्ध/हेतु-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: 'from/whence')

• tataḥ: from there/that source
• tataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: ततोऽर्थे (ablatival adverb: 'from there/then')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• upaninye: he brought/collected
• upaninye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ni-√nī (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन), परस्मैपद; उपसर्गौ: उप + नि

• nyāyataḥ: rightfully
• nyāyataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nyāyataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb), अर्थः: न्यायेन/धर्मतः (by justice/rightly)

• anyāyataḥ: unjustly
• anyāyataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyāyataḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb), अर्थः: अन्यायेन/अधर्मतः (unjustly)

• dhanam: wealth
• dhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन)

• babhāra: he supported/maintained
• babhāra: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन), परस्मैपद

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन)

• kuṭumbinyāḥ: of the housewife
• kuṭumbinyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭumbinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन)

• kuṭumbam: family/household
• kuṭumbam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭumba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन)

• manda-dhīḥ: one of dull intellect
• manda-dhīḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manda + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (Karmadhāraya): मन्दा धीः यस्य सः; पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन)

• ayam: this (man)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular/एकवचन)

Characters & Entities

• Ajāmila

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about earning money by right or wrong means?

This verse describes Ajāmila collecting wealth both lawfully and unlawfully, showing how loss of dharma leads one to compromise ethics for maintenance and attachment.

Why is Ajāmila described as maintaining the family of “that woman”?

In the narrative, Ajāmila becomes attached to a prostitute/immoral companion and, out of delusion, supports her household—illustrating how illicit association pulls one into deeper responsibility and sin.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Choose honest livelihood and guard against destructive attachments; unethical income and misplaced responsibility may temporarily sustain life but steadily erode character, peace, and spiritual progress.