Shloka 38

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide

Devanagari script

उपस्पृशेत् त्रिषवणं स्वपापं परिकीर्तयन् / संवत्सरेण चैकेन तस्मात् पापात् प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

upaspṛśet triṣavaṇaṃ svapāpaṃ parikīrtayan / saṃvatsareṇa caikena tasmāt pāpāt pramucyate

Translation

ത്രിസന്ധ്യകളിലും ആചമനം ചെയ്ത് സ്വന്തം പാപം തുറന്നു കീർത്തിക്കുന്നവൻ ഒരു വർഷത്തിനകം ആ പാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനാകും.

Word by Word

• उपस्पृशेत्: should perform ācamana/touch water (ritual sipping)
• उपस्पृशेत्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्रि-षवणम्: the three daily times (tri-savana)
• त्रि-षवणम्: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + सवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि सवनानि)

• स्व-पापम्: one’s own sin
• स्व-पापम्: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वं पापम्)

• परिकीर्तयन्: while confessing/proclaiming
• परिकीर्तयन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-कीर्तय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण

• संवत्सरेण: by (the passage of) a year
• संवत्सरेण: करण (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• एकेन: by one (single)
• एकेन: विशेषण (करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण (संवत्सरेण)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: अपादान (अपादानम्/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: अपादान (अपादानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is released/freed
• प्रमुच्यते: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Traditional narrator (Purāṇic discourse voice, within a dharma/prāyaścitta instruction section)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Ācamana
• Triṣavaṇa

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it treats sin as removable through disciplined purification and truthful self-disclosure, implying the Self is not intrinsically tainted—impurity is an upādhi (adventitious condition) that can be cleansed.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A discipline akin to yogic niyama: regular triṣavaṇa observance, ritual purity (ācamana), and self-scrutiny/confession (svapāpa-parikīrtana), supporting inner clarity that complements Pāśupata-style tapas and devotion.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Not explicitly; the verse emphasizes shared dharma—purification, truthfulness, and disciplined practice—values upheld across Shaiva and Vaishnava teachings in the Kurma Purana’s synthesis.