Shloka 37

Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni

Devanagari script

चाण्डालकूपभाण्डेषु यदि ज्ञानात् पिबेज्जलम् / चरेत् सांतपनं कृच्छ्रं ब्राह्मणः पापशोधनम्

Transliteration

cāṇḍālakūpabhāṇḍeṣu yadi jñānāt pibejjalam / caret sāṃtapanaṃ kṛcchraṃ brāhmaṇaḥ pāpaśodhanam

Translation

หากพราหมณ์ดื่มน้ำจากบ่อน้ำหรือภาชนะของจัณฑาลโดยเจตนา เขาควรบำเพ็ญสันตปนะกิจฉระ เพื่อเป็นการไถ่บาปและชำระล้างมลทินนั้น

Word by Word

• चाण्डाल-कूप-भाण्डेषु: in caṇḍāla wells/vessels
• चाण्डाल-कूप-भाण्डेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक) + भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः — Locative: 'in vessels/wells of a caṇḍāla'

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक अव्यय (conditional particle) — 'if'

• ज्ञानात्: knowingly
• ज्ञानात्: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative: 'knowingly/from knowledge'

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; 'should drink'

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Object

• चरेत्: should perform
• चरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; 'should practice'

• सांतपनम्: Sāṃtapana (penance)
• सांतपनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांतपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Object of चरेत्

• कृच्छ्रम्: severe
• कृच्छ्रम्: Karma-anvaya (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् to सांतपनम् — 'severe'

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Subject

• पाप-शोधनम्: sin-cleansing
• पाप-शोधनम्: Karma-anvaya (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + शोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य शोधनम्) — adjective to सांतपनम् (understood)

Speaker

Traditional Purāṇic narrator (Vyāsa/disciplic narration) prescribing dharma and prāyaścitta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Caṇḍāla
• Sāṃtapana-kṛcchra

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

This verse is not an Ātman-metaphysics teaching; it operates at the level of varṇāśrama-dharma and karmic purification, prescribing prāyaścitta to restore ritual and ethical fitness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No contemplative yoga is taught directly; the practice here is tapas as prāyaścitta—undertaking the Sāṃtapana-kṛcchra austerity—showing the Purāṇa’s dharmic discipline that complements (but is distinct from) the later Pāśupata-yoga instructions in the Upari-bhāga.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not explicitly discuss Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it reflects the shared Purāṇic framework where dharma, tapas, and purification are upheld as universally valid supports for spiritual life across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions.