Shloka 57

Prāyaścitta for Food-Contact, Social Contact, Aśauca Periods, and Formal Penance Systems

Devanagari script

अज्ञानात्प्राश्य विण्मूत्रं सुरासंस्पृष्टमेव च / पुनः संस्कारमायान्ति त्रयो वर्णा द्विजातयः

Transliteration

ajñānātprāśya viṇmūtraṃ surāsaṃspṛṣṭameva ca / punaḥ saṃskāramāyānti trayo varṇā dvijātayaḥ

Translation

അജ്ഞാനവശാൽ മലമൂത്രമോ മദ്യസ്പർശിതമായതോ കഴിച്ചാൽ, മൂന്നു ഉന്നത വർണങ്ങളിലെ ദ്വിജർ ശുദ്ധിക്കായി വീണ്ടും സംസ്കാരം (പുനഃശുദ്ധികർമ്മം) അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (because of ignorance)

• प्राश्य: having eaten
• प्राश्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• विण्मूत्रम्: feces and urine
• विण्मूत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विण्-मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक; विण् + मूत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (feces and urine as a set)

• सुरासंस्पृष्टम्: touched/contaminated by liquor
• सुरासंस्पृष्टम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरा-संस्पृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; सुरा + संस्पृष्ट (√स्पृश् + क्त))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (qualifying विण्मूत्रम्)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed/just)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (and)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again)

• संस्कारम्: purificatory rite/sacrament
• संस्कारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• आयान्ति: they come/attain
• आयान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वर्णाः)

• वर्णाः: social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-जाति (प्रातिपदिक; द्वि + जाति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘द्विर्जाताः’ (twice-born)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Accidental ingestion of highly impure substances (feces/urine) or liquor-contact requires renewed saṃskāra for the twice-born of the three varṇas.

Vedantic Theme: Śauca (purity) as a support for sattva and Vedic discipline; external purity as a scaffold for inner clarity (not identical with liberation).

Application: When boundaries are violated unintentionally, respond with transparent corrective steps and recommitment to standards; distinguish ignorance from malice while still repairing consequences.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: purity/impurity rules and re-purification measures for dvijas recur in dharma sections

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuḍa
• Dvijas
• Varṇas

FAQs

What is the importance of ritual purification in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse treats purity as a safeguard for dharma: even accidental grave impurity requires renewed saṁskāra so the dvija may return to Vedic-ritual fitness.

Does the verse describe sin or accidental fault (ajñāna)?

It explicitly states ajñāna (ignorance/accident); the remedy is not punishment but re-sanctification—restoring ritual eligibility through prescribed rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain carefulness in food and contact; if a serious lapse occurs unintentionally, respond with corrective discipline—seek appropriate guidance, perform purification, and recommit to ethical restraint.