Shloka 17

अत्रेः तपोबलप्रकाशः तथा च्यवनस्य सोमाधिकारः

Atri’s Illumination by Tapas; Cyavana and Soma-Entitlement

Devanagari script

मृतस्य दशरात्रेण प्रायश्चित्तानि दापयेत्‌ सावित्री रैवतीमिष्टिं कृूष्माण्डमघमर्षणम्‌

Transliteration

mṛtasya daśarātreṇa prāyaścittāni dāpayet | sāvitrīṃ raivatīm iṣṭiṃ kūṣmāṇḍam aghamarṣaṇam ||

Translation

మరణానంతర దశరాత్రి అశౌచకాలంలో ఎవడు ఇతరుల ఇంట అన్నం భుజిస్తాడో, అతనితో ప్రాయశ్చిత్తాలు చేయించాలి—సావిత్రీ (గాయత్రీ) జపం, రైవతీ కర్మ, శుద్ధ్యర్థ ఇష్టి, కూష్మాండ అనువాకం, అఘమర్షణ సూక్త పఠనం.

Word by Word

• मृतस्य: of the dead (person)
• मृतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (√मृ)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• दशरात्रेण: by/within ten nights (i.e., ten days period)
• दशरात्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरात्र
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रायश्चित्तानि: expiations
• प्रायश्चित्तानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• दापयेत्: should cause (someone) to perform / should have done
• दापयेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (दापयति, causative)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative

• सावित्रीम्: the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī-mantra)
• सावित्रीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• रैवतीम्: the Raivatī (hymn/rite named Raivatī)
• रैवतीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवती
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इष्टिम्: an iṣṭi (sacrificial offering/rite)
• इष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कूष्माण्डम्: the Kūṣmāṇḍa (rite/anuvāka named Kūṣmāṇḍa)
• कूष्माण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूष्माण्ड
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अघमर्षणम्: the Aghamarṣaṇa (purificatory hymn/japa)
• अघमर्षणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघमर्षण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī mantra)
• Raivatī
• Iṣṭi
• Kūṣmāṇḍa (anuvāka)
• Aghamarṣaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that violations committed during the sensitive period of death-impurity (maraṇa-āśauca) require deliberate expiation. Dharma is maintained not only by avoiding improper conduct but also by restoring purity through prescribed mantra-recitation and rites when a lapse occurs.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma and conduct, Bhīṣma lays down a specific rule: if someone eats food while under the ten-day death-impurity connected with another household, he should undertake named purificatory recitations/rites—Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī), Raivatī, an iṣṭi, Kūṣmāṇḍa, and Aghamarṣaṇa—to remove the fault.