Shloka 45

Prāyaścitta for Food-Contact, Social Contact, Aśauca Periods, and Formal Penance Systems

Devanagari script

अस्थि चर्म मलं वापि मूषिकां यदि कूपतः / उद्धृत्य चोदकं पञ्च गव्याच्छुद्ध्येत्तु शोधितम्

Transliteration

asthi carma malaṃ vāpi mūṣikāṃ yadi kūpataḥ / uddhṛtya codakaṃ pañca gavyācchuddhyettu śodhitam

Translation

Если из колодца извлечены кость, кусок кожи, нечистоты или даже мёртвая мышь, то, удалив это, вода очищается, когда её очищают панчагавьей (пятью продуктами коровы).

Word by Word

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc Singular)

• चर्म: skin/hide
• चर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc Singular)

• मलम्: filth/excrement
• मलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि (also/even)

• मूषिकाम्: a mouse/rat
• मूषिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त (conditional particle)

• कूपतः: from the well
• कूपतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• उद्धृत्य: having drawn out
• उद्धृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

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

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक अव्यय (numeral indeclinable)

• गव्यात्: from/with cow-products (gavyam)
• गव्यात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• शुद्ध्येत्: should be purified
• शुद्ध्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg); आत्मनेपद

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• शोधितम्: purified/cleansed
• शोधितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोधित (कृदन्त; शुध् धातु, णिच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom/Acc Singular); क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Removal of pollutant plus pañcagavya cleansing restores purity of well-water.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual means (upāya) for restoring order; purity as a support for sattva and disciplined living.

Application: First remove the contaminant; then apply a recognized purification protocol; in modern terms, clean the source and disinfect appropriately.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: water source

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222 (pañcagavya and water purification context)

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa
• Pañcagavya

FAQs

What is the importance of pañcagavya in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents pañcagavya as a recognized purifier: when a well is defiled by impure substances or a dead creature, cleansing with pañcagavya is stated to restore ritual purity of the water.

Does this verse relate to sins and afterlife teachings in the Garuda Purana?

Indirectly: it belongs to the Dharma/Ācāra layer of the text, emphasizing purity regulations that support correct ritual life, which the Garuda Purana often links to dharma and auspicious outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat drinking-water contamination seriously: remove the contaminant immediately and perform an appropriate purification/cleaning method according to one’s tradition; the verse highlights prompt removal and ritually sanctioned cleansing.