Shloka 7

Pavitrāropaṇa-vidhi

Rite of Investing/Offering the Pavitra Sacred Thread

Devanagari script

अष्टोत्तरशतं कुर्यात्पञ्चाशत्पञ्चविंशतिम् / रुद्रो ऽत्तमादि विज्ञेयं मानं च ग्रन्थयो दश

Transliteration

aṣṭottaraśataṃ kuryātpañcāśatpañcaviṃśatim / rudro 'ttamādi vijñeyaṃ mānaṃ ca granthayo daśa

Translation

ಜಪ/ಕರ್ಮವನ್ನು 108 ಬಾರಿ—ಅಥವಾ 50, ಅಥವಾ 25 ಬಾರಿ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ‘ರುದ್ರೋತ್ತಮ’ ಮೊದಲಾದವುಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರಮಾಣ-ಮಾನವೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕು; ಗ್ರಂಥಿ-ಮಾನವು ಹತ್ತು (ಘಟಕಗಳು) ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ.

Word by Word

• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: one hundred and eight
• अष्टोत्तरशतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टोत्तरशत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अष्ट + उत्तर + शत) = 108

• कुर्यात्: should make/do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• पञ्चाशत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘fifty’

• पञ्चविंशतिम्: twenty-five
• पञ्चविंशतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पञ्च + विंशति) = 25

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमादि: beginning with ‘uttama’ (etc.)
• उत्तमादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उत्तम + आदि) ‘beginning with the best/uttama’

• विज्ञेयम्: is to be known
• विज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे—‘विज्ञेय’ (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘should be known’

• मानम्: measure/standard
• मानम्: Karma/Predicate (Measure/मान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• ग्रन्थयः: knots
• ग्रन्थयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रन्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (agreeing with ग्रन्थयः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Saṅkhyā-niyama (rule of number) and māna (measure) as supports for ritual integrity; 108 as full count with permitted reductions.

Vedantic Theme: Niyama (discipline) steadies the mind; regulated repetition supports concentration (citta-ekāgratā).

Application: Adopt consistent counts for mantra/japa (ideally 108; otherwise 50/25) and keep a clear standard for what constitutes a unit of recitation/reading to avoid negligence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.42.4-6 (pavitraka, mantras, thread-deities); Garuda Purana 1.42.8 (knot spacing and names)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

Why does the Garuda Purana specify 108, 50, or 25 repetitions?

This verse gives graded counts for a practice—108 as the fuller observance, with 50 or 25 as allowable reductions—so the rite can still be performed according to rule when time or capacity is limited.

What does this verse indicate about scriptural ‘māna’ (measurement)?

It points to recognized standards of measure (such as ‘Rudra’ and related categories) used to define or regulate recitation/text-units, indicating that rites and texts are structured by traditional quantitative norms.

How can this guidance be applied practically today?

Adopt a consistent japa/recitation discipline: aim for 108 when possible, and use 50 or 25 as a disciplined minimum—maintaining regularity and correctness rather than abandoning the practice entirely.