Shloka 31

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

श्वादिदष्टस्तु गायत्त्र्या जपाच्छुद्धो भवेन्नरः / दाह्यो लोकाग्निना विप्रश्चाण्डालाद्यैर्हतो ऽग्निमान्

Transliteration

śvādidaṣṭastu gāyattryā japācchuddho bhavennaraḥ / dāhyo lokāgninā vipraścāṇḍālādyairhato 'gnimān

Translation

人若被狗等咬伤，因反复诵持伽雅特丽（Gāyatrī）而得清净。然守持圣火之婆罗门，若为旃陀罗等贱民所杀，则当以“世间之火”——即寻常公共之火——行火葬。

Word by Word

• श्वादिदष्टः: bitten by a dog etc.
• श्वादिदष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वादि (प्रातिपदिक) + दष्ट (दंश्-धातोः क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—श्वादिभिः दष्टः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• गायत्त्र्या: by (recitation of) the Gāyatrī
• गायत्त्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (fem. instr. sg.)

• जपात्: from/through repetition (japa)
• जपात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन (masc. abl. sg.); हेतौ (cause)

• शुद्धः: purified
• शुद्धः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should become)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• दाह्यः: to be burnt
• दाह्यः: Karya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दाह्य (दह्-धातोः ण्यत्/यत्, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: to be burnt)

• लोकाग्निना: by the public fire (fire of the community)
• लोकाग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—लोकस्य अग्निः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• चाण्डालाद्यैः: by outcastes such as caṇḍālas
• चाण्डालाद्यैः: Karana/Agent (Instrumental agent/करण-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—चाण्डालः आदिः येषाम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे/समूहवाचक; परन्तु रूपतः तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• हतः: killed
• हतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (हन्-धातोः क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• अग्निमान्: having (the sacred) fire
• अग्निमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective: having fire)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Timing: Immediately at cremation/antyeṣṭi context (cremation protocol).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gāyatrī-japa purifies after dog-bite; special cremation rule applies to an agnihotrin brāhmaṇa killed by a caṇḍāla-like person—use ordinary public fire.

Vedantic Theme: Mantra as purifier (śabda-śakti) and the maintenance of ritual order even amid violent disruption; karma and saṃskāra govern purity transitions.

Application: For minor impurity/fear events, adopt stabilizing spiritual practice (japa); for death rites, follow local dharma guidance on cremation protocols, recognizing historical caste-coded prescriptions as textual artifacts requiring careful, ethical contextualization today.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (purification and funeral protocol context)

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Cāṇḍāla
• Agni (sacred fire)

FAQs

What is the importance of Gāyatrī japa for purification in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Gāyatrī recitation as a direct prāyaścitta (expiation) that removes impurity arising from a dog-bite and similar contaminations, emphasizing mantra-based purification within dharma.

How does this verse explain death-rite procedure in exceptional cases?

It distinguishes ordinary purification (dog-bite) from a special funeral rule: an āhitāgni brāhmaṇa slain by a Cāṇḍāla-like person is cremated using ‘loka-agni’—common fire—signaling an exceptional handling of rites based on the circumstances of death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain a disciplined daily mantra practice (such as Gāyatrī, as appropriate to one’s tradition) for inner and outer purification, and follow one’s śāstric/lineage-guided funeral procedures rather than improvising rites in sensitive situations.