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Shloka 17

Indra’s Brahma-hatyā, Flight from Sin, and Purification by Aśvamedha

ततो गतो ब्रह्मगिरोपहूत ऋतम्भरध्याननिवारिताघ: । पापस्तु दिग्देवतया हतौजा- स्तं नाभ्यभूदवितं विष्णुपत्‍न्या ॥ १७ ॥

tato gato brahma-giropahūta ṛtambhara-dhyāna-nivāritāghaḥ pāpas tu digdevatayā hataujās taṁ nābhyabhūd avitaṁ viṣṇu-patnyā

విష్ణువు భార్య అయిన లక్ష్మీదేవి రక్షణ మరియు సత్య ధ్యానం వల్ల ఇంద్రుని పాపం నశించింది. బ్రాహ్మణులు ఆయనను తిరిగి పిలిచారు, ఆయన తన పదవిని తిరిగి పొందాడు.

ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formअपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/then)
गतःhaving gone
गतः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘गत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ब्रह्म-गिरा-उपहूतःsummoned by Brahmā’s words
ब्रह्म-गिरा-उपहूतः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + गिर् (प्रातिपदिक) + उप-ह्वे (धातु)
Formतत्पुरुष; ‘उपहूत’ (PPP) = called/invited; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
ऋतम्भर-ध्यान-निवारित-अघःwhose sin was removed by truth-bearing meditation
ऋतम्भर-ध्यान-निवारित-अघः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootऋतम्भर (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + नि-वार् (धातु) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुव्रीहि; ‘निवारित’ (PPP) + ‘अघ’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
पापःthe sinner
पापः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपाप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
तुbut
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/विरोधसूचक अव्यय (particle)
दिग्-देवतयाby the presiding deity of the directions
दिग्-देवतया:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootदिश् (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
हत-ओजाःwhose vigor was destroyed
हत-ओजाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootहन् (धातु) + ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष; ‘हत’ (PPP) + ‘ओजस्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
तम्him
तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
not
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
अभ्यभूत्overcame, prevailed over
अभ्यभूत्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-भू (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
अवितम्protected
अवितम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootअव् (धातु)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘अवित’ = protected; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (tam)
विष्णु-पत्न्याby Viṣṇu’s consort (Lakṣmī)
विष्णु-पत्न्या:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
I
Indra
V
Viṣṇu-patnī (Śrī/Lakṣmī)
D
Dik-devatās (deities of the directions)
B
Brāhmaṇas
P
Pāpa (sin personified)

FAQs

This verse indicates that sins can be restrained and neutralized through truth-centered meditation (ṛtambharā-dhyāna), and ultimately by divine protection and grace—here specifically the shelter granted by Viṣṇu’s consort.

Because the deities of the directions had already weakened the force of that sin, and Indra was additionally protected by Viṣṇu-patnī (Śrī/Lakṣmī), making him inaccessible to the remaining influence of pāpa.

By cultivating steady truthfulness and sincere inner reflection—aligning thought, speech, and action with dharma—while seeking divine shelter through prayer and devotion, one reduces the momentum of harmful reactions and builds spiritual clarity.