Shloka 11

Prāyaścitta: Catalogue of Sins, Narakas, and Graded Expiations

Kṛcchra–Cāndrāyaṇa–Japa

Devanagari script

आचार्यपत्नीं स्वसुतां गच्छंस्तु गुरुतल्पगः / छित्त्वा लिङ्गं वधस्तस्य सकामायाः स्त्रियास्तथा

Transliteration

ācāryapatnīṃ svasutāṃ gacchaṃstu gurutalpagaḥ / chittvā liṅgaṃ vadhastasya sakāmāyāḥ striyāstathā

Translation

ఆచార్యుని భార్యను—లేదా తన స్వకుమార్తెను—సంభోగించువాడు గురుతల్పగుడు (గురుశయ్యా దూషకుడు) అవుతాడు. అతనికి లింగఛేదం చేసిన తరువాత మరణదండన విధించబడుతుందని చెప్పబడింది; కామేచ్ఛతో చేసిన స్త్రీకూ అలాగే.

Word by Word

• आचार्यपत्नीम्: the teacher’s wife
• आचार्यपत्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आचार्यस्य पत्नी)

• स्वसुताम्: one’s own daughter
• स्वसुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वा सुता)

• गच्छन्: going (to)
• गच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• गुरुतल्पगः: one who violates the guru’s bed
• गुरुतल्पगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति इति)

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Purvakala (Absolutive/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √छिद् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• लिङ्गम्: the sexual organ
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वधः: killing/death (punishment)
• वधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सकामायाः: of the consenting/desirous (woman)
• सकामायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्त्रियाः)

• स्त्रियाः: of the woman
• स्त्रियाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gurutalpa (violating the teacher’s wife) and incest are treated as extreme adharma warranting the harshest sanctions; culpability extends to willing participation.

Vedantic Theme: Actions born of unrestrained kāma generate heavy karma and profound inner degradation; dharma’s severity here functions as social and spiritual containment of tamas.

Application: Adopt zero-tolerance boundaries around abuse of trust/power (teacher-student contexts) and incest; emphasize prevention, ethical education, and accountability mechanisms.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana passages on gurutalpa as mahāpātaka and its consequences (general parallel passages)

Characters & Entities

• Acharya (guru/teacher)

FAQs

What is the importance of the sin of guru-talpaga in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats violating the teacher’s marital sanctity (and similarly incest) as a highest-order adharma, highlighting it as a severe karmic offense with extreme punitive consequences.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By specifying a concrete punishment for a specific transgression, it frames the after-death journey as morally governed—actions create karmic liabilities that manifest as suffering and retribution in Yama’s justice system (as described across the Purana’s punishment narratives).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain strict sexual ethics, honor teacher–student boundaries, and uphold family and social trust; the teaching emphasizes that exploiting sacred relationships is spiritually destructive.