Shloka 9

Prāyaścitta and Contextual Non-Culpability (प्रायश्चित्त-निमित्त-अदोषवाद)

Devanagari script

क्रतुना चाश्वमेधेन पूयते नात्र संशय: । ये चाप्पवभूथस्नाता: केचिदेवंविधा नरा:

Transliteration

kratunā cāśvamedhena pūyate nātra saṁśayaḥ | ye cāpy avabhṛtha-snātāḥ kecid evaṁvidhā narāḥ ||

Translation

祭式—とりわけアシュヴァメーダ（Aśvamedha）—によって人は清められる。これに疑いはない。また、供犠ののち結びの沐浴（アヴァブリタ avabhṛtha）を行った者の中には、清浄となり儀礼を成就した者として認められる者もいる。

Word by Word

क्रतुनाby a sacrifice/rite

चand

अश्वमेधेनby the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

पूयतेis purified

नnot

अत्रhere/in this matter

संशयःdoubt

येwho/those who

चand

अप्पवभूथस्नाताःhaving bathed after the concluding rite (avabhṛtha)

केचित्some

एवंविधाःof such a kind/like this

नराःmen/persons

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

व्यास (Vyāsa)

अ

अश्वमेध (Aśvamedha sacrifice)

अ

अवभृथ (Avabhṛtha bath)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms the purificatory power attributed to Vedic sacrificial rites—especially the Aśvamedha—and notes that completion of the rite, marked by the avabhṛtha bath, signifies ritual cleansing and fulfillment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is describing how certain people are considered purified through performing major sacrifices, highlighting the Aśvamedha and the concluding avabhṛtha bath as recognized markers of ritual completion and purification.