Shloka 32

Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow

Go-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

पतितं कुष्ठसंयुक्तं चांडालं च गवाशिनम् । श्वानं रजस्वलां भिल्लं स्पृष्ट्वा स्नानं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

patitaṃ kuṣṭhasaṃyuktaṃ cāṃḍālaṃ ca gavāśinam | śvānaṃ rajasvalāṃ bhillaṃ spṛṣṭvā snānaṃ samācaret

Translation

പതിതൻ, കുഷ്ഠരോഗി, ചാണ്ഡാലൻ, ഗോമാംസഭോജി, നായ, രജസ്വല സ്ത്രീ, ഭില്ലൻ—ഇവരെ സ്പർശിച്ചാൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ശുദ്ധിസ്നാനം ആചരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• पतितम्: a fallen person
• पतितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; √पत् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘fallen’

• कुष्ठ-संयुक्तम्: afflicted with leprosy
• कुष्ठ-संयुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कुष्ठेन संयुक्तः)

• चाण्डालम्: a caṇḍāla (outcaste)
• चाण्डालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गव-आशिनम्: one who eats cows
• गव-आशिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव (गो; प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (कृदन्त; √अश् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गवां आशिन् = eater of cows)

• श्वानम्: a dog
• श्वानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रजस्वलाम्: a menstruating woman
• रजस्वलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस्वला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (menstruating)

• भिल्लम्: a Bhilla (tribesman)
• भिल्लम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); ‘having touched’

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative/dharmic injunction within Adhyaya 48 context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: चाण्डालं च (cāṃḍālaṃ ca) = चाण्डालम् + च; गवाशिनम् = गव् + आशिनम्; स्पृष्ट्वा (absolutive) governs the list of objects in accusative; समाचरेत् is the main verb.

FAQs

What practice does this verse prescribe after certain contacts?

It prescribes snāna (a purificatory bath) as the remedial act after touching persons or beings regarded here as ritually polluting.

Is the focus of this verse devotional (bhakti) or ritual (ācāra)?

The verse is primarily about ācāra—rules of cleanliness and ritual purity (śauca)—rather than explicit bhakti instruction.

What is the ethical lesson that can be taken from this verse today?

In its textual setting it teaches concern for purity and self-discipline; in contemporary reading, it can be approached as a historical dharma-śāstra style rule, distinguishing ritual categories from modern ethical views on human dignity.