Shloka 60

Prāyaścitta: Catalogue of Sins, Narakas, and Graded Expiations

Kṛcchra–Cāndrāyaṇa–Japa

Devanagari script

पञ्चगव्यं तु गोक्षीरं दधिमूत्रशकृद्घृतम् / जग्ध्वा परेह्न्युपवसेत्कृच्छ्रं सान्तपनं चरेत्

Transliteration

pañcagavyaṃ tu gokṣīraṃ dadhimūtraśakṛdghṛtam / jagdhvā parehnyupavasetkṛcchraṃ sāntapanaṃ caret

Translation

പഞ്ചഗവ്യം—ഗോക്ഷീരം, തൈര്, മൂത്രം, ചാണകം, നെയ്യ്—ഇവ കഴിച്ച്, അടുത്ത ദിവസം ഉപവാസം പാലിക്കണം; ഇങ്ങനെ ‘സാന്തപന കൃച്ഛ്ര’ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ആചരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• पञ्चगव्यम्: the five cow-products (pañcagavya)
• पञ्चगव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्च ‘five’ + गव्य ‘cow-products’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• गोक्षीरम्: cow’s milk
• गोक्षीरम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गो ‘cow’ + क्षीर ‘milk’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दधि: curd
• दधि: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (member in compound)

• मूत्र: urine
• मूत्र: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (member in compound)

• शकृत्: dung
• शकृत्: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (member in compound)

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जग्ध्वा: having eaten
• जग्ध्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जघस्/अद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) from √अद् ‘to eat’ (irregular base जग्ध-), अव्ययभाव

• परेह्नि: on the next day
• परेह्नि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परे + अहनि (अव्यय/सुप्-लोप)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverbial: ‘on the next day’)

• उपवसेत्: should fast
• उपवसेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृच्छ्रम्: a penance (kṛcchra)
• कृच्छ्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन

• सान्तपनम्: (called) sāntapana (penance)
• सान्तपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्तपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन

• चरेत्: should perform/practice
• चरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sāntapana Kṛcchra: ingest pañcagavya then fast next day as expiation to neutralize demerit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-śodhana through tapas and śauca; ritual discipline as moral repair.

Application: If following tradition, perform prāyaścitta only with competent guidance; emphasize the underlying intent—repentance, restraint, restitution, and sustained ethical change.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.105.61 (Mahā-sāntapana details)

FAQs

What is the importance of Sāntapana Kṛcchra in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Sāntapana Kṛcchra as a defined expiatory method: intake of pañcagavya followed by a next-day fast, emphasizing ritual purification as a means to restore dharmic purity after fault or impurity.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader ethic that actions have consequences and that purification (prayāścitta) helps remove impediments caused by wrongdoing, thereby supporting a cleaner karmic trajectory.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

The practical takeaway is disciplined self-restraint and conscious atonement: when one errs, adopt a sincere corrective practice (fasting/penance under guidance) and recommit to ethical living.