Shloka 16

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas (Great Sins), Vows, Tīrtha, and Sin-Destroying Observances

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा तु सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते / उपोषितश्चतुर्दश्यां कृष्णपक्षे समाहितः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇān bhojayitvā tu sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate / upoṣitaścaturdaśyāṃ kṛṣṇapakṣe samāhitaḥ

Translation

Sau khi thí thực cúng dường các Bà-la-môn, người ấy được giải thoát khỏi mọi tội lỗi. Lại nữa, với tâm an định, nên giữ trai giới vào ngày thứ mười bốn âm lịch (Caturdaśī) của nửa tháng tối (Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa).

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• भोजयित्वा: having fed
• भोजयित्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → भोजय्; त्वा-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having caused to eat/fed)

• तु: indeed/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे

• सर्वपापैः: from all sins
• सर्वपापैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप (प्रातिपदिक); कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वाणि पापानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), बहुवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• उपोषितः: having fasted / one who has fasted
• उपोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु) → उपोषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (one who has fasted)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य पक्षः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• समाहितः: composed, attentive
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (collected/intent)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa / Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sin is attenuated by prescribed acts—brāhmaṇa-bhojana (dāna/atithi-sevā) and disciplined fasting on kṛṣṇa-pakṣa caturdaśī.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as citta-śuddhi (purification of mind) preparing for higher knowledge/bhakti.

Application: Offer a respectful meal/dāna to qualified brāhmaṇas/teachers; observe a disciplined caturdaśī fast with mental steadiness, avoiding ostentation and harm.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Dharmakanda: prāyaścitta-vrata sections on upavāsa, brāhmaṇa-bhojana, and pāpa-kṣaya

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the importance of feeding brāhmaṇas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas) as a powerful act of dāna and dharma that functions as prāyaścitta (atonement), leading to release from sins (sarva-pāpa).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana context?

While not describing the soul’s post-death journey directly, it teaches preparatory dharma—purification through charity and disciplined fasting—meant to reduce pāpa that otherwise obstructs favorable afterlife outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Offer food respectfully to learned and needy persons (in the spirit of brāhmaṇa-bhojana), and observe a mindful caturdaśī fast or restraint with prayer/meditation to cultivate self-control and ethical living.