Shloka 56
Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna
अयं हि श्रुतसम्पन्न: शीलवृत्तगुणालय: । धृतव्रतो मृदुर्दान्त: सत्यवाङ्मन्त्रविच्छुचि: ॥ ५६ ॥ गुर्वग्न्यतिथिवृद्धानां शुश्रूषुरनहङ्कृत: । सर्वभूतसुहृत्साधुर्मितवागनसूयक: ॥ ५७ ॥
ayaṁ hi śruta-sampannaḥ śīla-vṛtta-guṇālayaḥ dhṛta-vrato mṛdur dāntaḥ satya-vāṅ mantra-vic chuciḥ
ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਜਾਮਿਲ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਇਹ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਸਾਰੇ ਵੇਦਿਕ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਿਪੁਣ ਸੀ। ਉਹ ਸ਼ੀਲ, ਸਦਾਚਾਰ ਤੇ ਗੁਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਭੰਡਾਰ, ਵ੍ਰਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਦ੍ਰਿੜ੍ਹ, ਮ੍ਰਿਦੁ, ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀਆਂ-ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਵੱਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖਣ ਵਾਲਾ, ਸਤ੍ਯਵਾਦੀ, ਮੰਤਰ-ਜਾਣੂ ਅਤੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਸੀ।
The order carriers of Yamarāja, the Yamadūtas, are explaining the factual position of piety and impiety and how a living entity is entangled in this material world. Describing the history of Ajāmila’s life, the Yamadūtas relate that in the beginning he was a learned scholar of the Vedic literature. He was well-behaved, neat and clean, and very kind to everyone. In fact, he had all good qualities. In other words, he was like a perfect brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is expected to be perfectly pious, to follow all the regulative principles and to have all good qualities. The symptoms of piety are explained in these verses. Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya comments that dhṛta-vrata means dhṛtaṁ vrataṁ strī-saṅga-rāhityātmaka-brahmacarya-rūpam. In other words, Ajāmila followed the rules and regulations of celibacy as a perfect brahmacārī and was very softhearted, truthful, clean and pure. How he fell down in spite of all these qualities and thus came to be threatened with punishment by Yamarāja will be described in the following verses.
FAQs
This verse lists Vedic learning, good character, proper conduct, firm vows, gentleness, self-control, truthful speech, mantra-knowledge, and purity as defining qualities.
To establish that Ajāmila began as a genuinely cultured and disciplined brāhmaṇa—making his later fall and eventual deliverance a stronger lesson about association, degradation, and the power of the Lord’s name.
Cultivate truthful speech, self-restraint, cleanliness, and steady spiritual practice; seek sacred learning, keep good habits, and maintain integrity in work and relationships.