Shloka 25

Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni

Devanagari script

भुक्त्वा चैव नवश्राद्धे मृतके सूतके तथा / चान्द्रायणेन शुद्ध्येत ब्राह्मणस्तु समाहितः

Transliteration

bhuktvā caiva navaśrāddhe mṛtake sūtake tathā / cāndrāyaṇena śuddhyeta brāhmaṇastu samāhitaḥ

Translation

നവശ്രാദ്ധകാലത്തോ, മൃതകമോ സൂതകമോ ആയ അശൗചകാലത്തോ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ഭക്ഷിച്ചാൽ, ആത്മനിയന്ത്രണത്തോടെ ഏകാഗ്രനായി ചാന്ദ്രായണ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ചെയ്ത് ശുദ്ധി പ്രാപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• नव-श्राद्धे: in the new śrāddha (rite)
• नव-श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; locus/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नवम् श्राद्धम् इति)

• मृतके: in a death-impurity situation
• मृतके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• सूतके: in birth-impurity (sūtaka)
• सूतके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• चान्द्रायणेन: by the Cāndrāyaṇa (penance)
• चान्द्रायणेन: Karaṇa (करण; instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• शुद्ध्येत: should become purified
• शुद्ध्येत: Kriyā (क्रिया; main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: शुध्/शुच्-शुद्धौ (to be purified)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (कर्ता; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• समाहितः: composed/collected (in mind)
• समाहितः: Karta (कर्ता; as qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ब्राह्मणः)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic teaching on dharma/prāyaścitta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śrāddha
• Mṛtaka
• Sūtaka
• Cāndrāyaṇa

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does not directly teach Ātman-metaphysics; it emphasizes dharma as inner discipline (samāhita) expressed through corrective practice (prāyaścitta), which supports purity of mind needed for higher knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights samādhāna/samāhitatva—mental composure and restraint—along with the Cāndrāyaṇa vow, a regulated ascetic discipline that functions like a dharmic sādhanā to restore purity.

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

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it reflects the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader synthesis by grounding spiritual life in shared dharma—purity, vows, and disciplined conduct—valued across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions.