Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्यन्तु तत्स्याच्च सर्वपातकनाशनम् / कृच्छ्रं सप्तोपवासैश्च महासान्तपनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

prājāpatyantu tatsyācca sarvapātakanāśanam / kṛcchraṃ saptopavāsaiśca mahāsāntapanaṃ smṛtam

Translation

วัตรนั้นเรียกว่า ‘ปราชาปัตยะ’ เป็นการไถ่บาปที่กล่าวว่าทำลายบาปหนักทั้งปวง และกฤจฉระที่ประกอบด้วยการถืออุปวาสเจ็ดครั้ง ระลึกกันว่าเป็น ‘มหาสานตปนะ’

Word by Word

• prājāpatyam: the prājāpatya (type of penance)
• prājāpatyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prājāpatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अन्वयः—‘तत्’ (that)

• syāt: would be/is to be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु; अस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sarvapātakanāśanam: destroyer of all sins
• sarvapātakanāśanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + pātaka + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• kṛcchram: kṛcchra penance
• kṛcchram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• saptopavāsaiḥ: by seven fasts
• saptopavāsaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—सप्त उपवासाः (द्विगु)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• mahāsāntapanam: the great sāntapana (penance)
• mahāsāntapanam: Visheshya (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + sāntapana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महच्च तत् सान्तपनम् (कर्मधारय)

• smṛtam: is said/considered
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicative verbal idea)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु; स्मृत = क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific penances (Prājāpatya; Kṛcchra with seven fasts as Mahā-sāntapana) are prescribed as means to destroy grave sins.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kṣaya through tapas and niyama; ethical restoration as prerequisite for steadiness in higher pursuits.

Application: When wrongdoing is acknowledged, undertake an appropriate, tradition-guided corrective discipline with consistency (not sporadic), ideally under competent guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: vow-observance setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222.60 (graded restraints); Garuda Purana 1.222.62 (taptakṛcchra specifics)

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati

FAQs

What is the importance of Prājāpatya prāyaścitta in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Prājāpatya as a recognized expiatory discipline specifically praised for destroying even grave sins (sarva-pātaka-nāśana), emphasizing purification through regulated austerity.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in relation to sin and purification?

While not describing the after-death journey directly, it links moral fault (pātaka) with remedial practice (prāyaścitta), implying that purification in life reduces the karmic burden that would otherwise shape post-mortem consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Adopt disciplined self-restraint—fasting or simplified living under guidance, coupled with ethical correction—treating austerity not as punishment but as a structured means to reform conduct and cleanse harmful tendencies.