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Shloka 52

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

अभ्रीं कार्ष्णायसीं दद्यात् सर्पं हत्वा द्विजोत्तमः / पलालभारं षण्डं च सैसकं चैकमाषकम्

abhrīṃ kārṣṇāyasīṃ dadyāt sarpaṃ hatvā dvijottamaḥ / palālabhāraṃ ṣaṇḍaṃ ca saisakaṃ caikamāṣakam

Setelah membunuh seekor ular, seorang brāhmaṇa yang mulia harus memberikan sedekah berupa cangkul besi, bersama dengan beban jerami, seekor lembu jantan, dan timah seberat satu māṣaka.

abhrīma spade/shovel
abhrīm:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootabhrī (अभ्री प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana
kārṣṇāyasīmmade of iron
kārṣṇāyasīm:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootkārṣṇāyasī (कार्ष्णायसी प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; agrees with abhrīm; samāsa: kṛṣṇa + ayas (made of black iron)
dadyātshould give
dadyāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdā (दा धातु)
FormVidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana
sarpama snake
sarpam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsarpa (सर्प प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana
hatvāhaving killed
hatvā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (prior action)
TypeVerb
Roothan (हन् धातु)
FormKtvā (क्त्वा) absolutive/gerund
dvijottamaḥthe best of the twice-born
dvijottamaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija + uttama (द्विज + उत्तम प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; samāsa: dvija-uttama (best among twice-born)
palālabhārama load of straw
palālabhāram:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpalāla + bhāra (पलाल + भार प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; samāsa: palāla-bhāra (load of straw)
ṣaṇḍama bull/ox (ṣaṇḍa)
ṣaṇḍam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootṣaṇḍa (षण्ड प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana
caand
ca:
Sambandha-sūcaka (सम्बन्धसूचक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (च अव्यय)
FormConjunction
saisakama piece of lead (or leaden object)
saisakam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsaisaka (सैसक प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana
caand
ca:
Sambandha-sūcaka (सम्बन्धसूचक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (च अव्यय)
FormConjunction
eka-māṣakamone māṣaka (measure/coin)
eka-māṣakam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rooteka + māṣaka (एक + माषक प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; dvigu: eka + māṣaka (one māṣaka measure/coin)

Purāṇic narrator (instructional dharma passage on prāyaścitta)

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

B
Brāhmaṇa (dvija)
S
Sarpa (serpent)
D
Dāna (charitable expiation)

FAQs

This verse is primarily dharma-śāstric (prāyaścitta) rather than metaphysical; it teaches ethical accountability for harm (hiṃsā) through corrective giving (dāna), which supports inner purification conducive to Self-knowledge.

No direct yoga technique is stated; the implied discipline is moral purification through prāyaścitta—reducing guilt and agitation (citta-kṣobha) so that later śaiva-vaiṣṇava contemplative practices can be undertaken with steadiness.

The verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it reflects the Purāṇic synthesis indirectly by grounding spiritual life in dharma (non-harm and expiation), a shared ethical foundation across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths in the Kūrma tradition.