Shloka 41

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide

Devanagari script

ओङ्कारपूर्विकाभिस्तु महाव्याहृतिभिः सदा / संवत्सरं तु भुञ्जानो नक्तं भिक्षाशनः शुचिः

Transliteration

oṅkārapūrvikābhistu mahāvyāhṛtibhiḥ sadā / saṃvatsaraṃ tu bhuñjāno naktaṃ bhikṣāśanaḥ śuciḥ

Translation

اومکار سے مسبوق مہاویاہرتیوں کا ہمیشہ جپ کرے؛ ایک سال تک پاکیزہ رہ کر، بھکشا کے اناج پر گزارا کرے اور رات کو صرف ایک بار کھانا کھائے۔

Word by Word

• ओङ्कार-पूर्विकाभिः: with (formulas) preceded by Oṃkāra
• ओङ्कार-पूर्विकाभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ओङ्कार + पूर्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ओङ्कारः पूर्वः यस्याः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय-निपात

• महाव्याहृतिभिः: with the great utterances (vyāhṛtis)
• महाव्याहृतिभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाव्याहृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती व्याहृतिः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• संवत्सरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काल-परिमाणार्थे (duration)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय-निपात

• भुञ्जानः: eating/partaking
• भुञ्जानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि; साधकस्य विशेषणम्

• नक्तम्: at night
• नक्तम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नक्तम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at night)

• भिक्षा-शनः: one whose food is alms
• भिक्षा-शनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिक्षा + शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भिक्षायाः शनः/भोजनं यस्य)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing sages on vrata and disciplined recitation

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Omkara (Oṃ)
• Mahāvyāhṛtis
• Bhikṣā (alms)
• Vrata-dharma

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By prescribing Oṃ-led Vyāhṛti-japa with strict purity and restraint, the verse implies that realization is approached through inner purification and one-pointed remembrance of the Supreme signified by Oṃ—leading the mind toward the Self beyond ritual externals.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Mantra-japa of the Mahāvyāhṛtis preceded by Oṃ, combined with tapas: naktabhojana (eating once at night), bhikṣā (alms-based living), and śauca (purity). This aligns with Kurma Purana’s discipline-oriented Yoga ethos used for citta-śuddhi (mental purification).

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

Though not naming Shiva directly, the practice-centered teaching reflects the Purana’s synthetic stance: liberation is pursued through shared yogic-tapas traditions (often Shaiva in tone) while taught by Vishnu as Kūrma—indicating convergent paths rather than sectarian opposition.