Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 32

Diti’s Untimely Desire and the Birth-Cause of the Asura Line

Prelude to Hiranyākṣa–Varāha

अथोपस्पृश्य सलिलं प्राणानायम्य वाग्यत: । ध्यायञ्जजाप विरजं ब्रह्म ज्योति: सनातनम् ॥ ३२ ॥

athopaspṛśya salilaṁ prāṇān āyamya vāg-yataḥ dhyāyañ jajāpa virajaṁ brahma jyotiḥ sanātanam

Sau đó vị Bà-la-môn tắm rửa bằng nước và làm nghi thức thanh tịnh, điều phục lời nói bằng prāṇāyāma. Rồi, quán niệm quang minh Brahman thanh tịnh, vĩnh cửu, ông âm thầm tụng niệm thánh ca Gāyatrī.

athathen
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
Formअनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then)
upaspṛśyahaving sipped/touched (water)
upaspṛśya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootupa-spṛś (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), 'having touched (water) / having performed ācamana'
salilamwater
salilam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsalila (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
prāṇānbreaths/vital airs
prāṇān:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootprāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
āyamyahaving controlled
āyamya:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā-yam (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), 'having restrained/extended'
vāk-yataḥwith speech restrained
vāk-yataḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvāc + yata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yam धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'speech-restrained' (vācā yataḥ)
dhyāyanmeditating
dhyāyan:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootdhyai (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन
jajāpachanted/muttered
jajāpa:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjap (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
virajamstainless/pure
virajam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootviraja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of brahma
brahmaBrahman (the Absolute)
brahma:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
jyotiḥlight/splendor
jyotiḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootjyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; apposition to brahma
sanātanameternal
sanātanam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of brahma/jyotiḥ

As one has to take bath after using the toilet, so one has to wash himself with water after sexual intercourse, especially when at a forbidden time. Kaśyapa Muni meditated on the impersonal brahmajyoti by chanting the Gāyatrī mantra within his mouth. When a Vedic mantra is chanted within the mouth so that only the chanter can hear, the chanting is called japa. But when such mantras are chanted loudly, it is called kīrtana. The Vedic hymn Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare can be chanted both softly to oneself or loudly; therefore it is called the mahā-mantra, or the great hymn.

FAQs

This verse describes purifying oneself by touching water, restraining speech, regulating the prāṇa, and then meditating and chanting upon the eternal, spotless Brahman.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating this verse to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as part of the account in Canto 3, Chapter 14.

Begin spiritual practice with cleanliness and calm—take a moment to purify (wash hands/face), steady the breath, reduce unnecessary speech, and then do focused japa or contemplation daily.