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Shloka 14

Prāyaścitta: Catalogue of Sins, Narakas, and Graded Expiations

Kṛcchra–Cāndrāyaṇa–Japa

Devanagari script

सच्छूद्रविट्क्षत्त्रबन्धोर्निन्दितार्थोपजीविता / नास्तिक्यं व्रतलोपश्च शूल्यं गोश्वेव विक्रयः

Transliteration

sacchūdraviṭkṣattrabandhorninditārthopajīvitā / nāstikyaṃ vratalopaśca śūlyaṃ gośveva vikrayaḥ

Translation

以可讥之道谋生——如不当依附那些仅凭出身而称为“善良的”首陀罗、吠舍与徒具血统之刹帝利者；不信正法（nāstikya）；毁弃誓戒；以签串肉而售之业（śūlya）；以及贩卖牛与马——皆属可责之行。

Word by Word
सत्good; respectable
सत्:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √अस्)
Formविशेषणरूपेण; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)
शूद्रŚūdra
शूद्र:
Sambandha (Genitive-in-compound/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)
विट्Vaiśya
विट्:
Sambandha (Genitive-in-compound/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootविट् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)
क्षत्त्रबन्धोःof a kṣatriya-relative/one related to kṣatriyas
क्षत्त्रबन्धोः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षत्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षत्त्रस्य बन्धुः)
निन्दितार्थोपजीविताliving by censured means
निन्दितार्थोपजीविता:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनिन्दित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीविता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निन्दितैः अर्थैः उपजीविता)
नास्तिक्यम्atheism; denial (of dharma)
नास्तिक्यम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनास्तिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
व्रतलोपःbreaking of vows
व्रतलोपः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootव्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + लोप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य लोपः)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
शूल्यम्trade in meat/being a butcher (lit. on the spit)
शूल्यम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
गोश्वाcow and horse
गोश्वा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगो (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गो + अश्व)
इवlike; as
इव:
Upamana (Comparative/उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)
विक्रयःsale; selling
विक्रयः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Censured livelihood, atheism (nāstikya), breaking vows, meat-skewer trade, and selling cows/horses are blameworthy, corroding śraddhā and social-ritual order.

Vedantic Theme: Śraddhā and niyama support sattva; nāstikya and vrata-lopa deepen tamas, obstructing spiritual progress.

Application: Choose dignified, non-harmful livelihoods; keep commitments; cultivate śraddhā; avoid trades rooted in cruelty or exploitation of protected animals.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: vrata and sadachara sections; papa lists including nāstikya and himsa-based livelihoods; Garuda Purana: later naraka descriptions often tie to himsa and vow-breaking (thematic)

FAQs

This verse flags certain ways of earning—especially those considered socially and ritually degrading—as dharma-violations, implying they generate pāpa and lead to adverse post-death consequences described elsewhere in the Purana.

By identifying nāstikya (denial of dharma) and vratalopa (breaking vows) as blameworthy, it links moral and religious conduct with karmic outcomes that shape the soul’s post-mortem journey and experiences in Yama’s domain (as taught in the Garuda Purana’s broader narrative).

Choose ethical work, keep commitments and vows you undertake, avoid actions that harm societal and sacred trust (especially around protected animals), and cultivate śraddhā rather than denial of moral causality.

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