Home›Garuda Purana›Brahma Khanda›Adhyaya 222›Shloka 20
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 20

Prāyaścitta for Food-Contact, Social Contact, Aśauca Periods, and Formal Penance Systems

Devanagari script

प्राजापत्यादिभिर्द्रष्टा स्त्री शुध्येत्तु द्विभोजनात् / उच्छिष्टोच्छिष्टसंस्पृष्टंशुना शूद्रेण वा द्विजः

Transliteration

prājāpatyādibhirdraṣṭā strī śudhyettu dvibhojanāt / ucchiṣṭocchiṣṭasaṃspṛṣṭaṃśunā śūdreṇa vā dvijaḥ

Translation

女子若经由“普罗阇波底耶”(Prājāpatya)等赎罪法而被审定，则以进食两餐而得清净。至于二次生者(dvija)，若被“余食”(ucchiṣṭa)所触，或被触余食者所触，或被狗、或被首陀罗(Śūdra)所触，亦可依法得清净。

Word by Word
प्राजापत्यादिभिःby (penances) such as prājāpatya
प्राजापत्यादिभिः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्राजापत्य + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—प्राजापत्य-आदि; करणत्वे प्रयोग
द्रष्टाone who should observe/perform (observer)
द्रष्टा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Root√दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टृ (कर्तृवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)
स्त्रीa woman
स्त्री:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
शुध्येत्should become purified
शुध्येत्:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√शुध् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)
द्विभोजनात्from (the penance of) two meals (a day)
द्विभोजनात्:
Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वि + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (two meals)
उच्छिष्टोच्छिष्टसंस्पृष्टम्(one) touched by leftover/impure remnants
उच्छिष्टोच्छिष्टसंस्पृष्टम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootउच्छिष्ट + उच्छिष्ट + संस्पृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—उच्छिष्ट-उच्छिष्ट-संस्पृष्ट (contact with leftovers/impure remnants); विशेषण
शुनाby a dog
शुना:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (वैकल्पिकरूप: शुना)
शूद्रेणby a Śūdra
शूद्रेण:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha/Alternative (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)
द्विजःa twice-born (Brahmin etc.)
द्विजः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śauca and prāyaścitta: purification after contact with ucchiṣṭa, dog, or certain persons; graded remedies (Prājāpatya etc.).

Vedantic Theme: External purity as support for inner sattva; karma-kāṇḍa discipline as preparatory citta-śuddhi.

Application: Observe hygiene/ritual cleanliness; when boundaries are crossed, follow proportionate corrective observances rather than despair or denial.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: domestic/social

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.222 (śauca/prāyaścitta rules for contact impurities)

Characters & Entities
P
Prajapatya
S
Shudra
D
Dvija

FAQs

The verse codifies practical śauca (purity) rules and light expiations (prāyaścitta) to restore ritual fitness after specific contacts such as ucchiṣṭa or certain touch-based impurities.

Garuda Purana links dharma to both inner conduct and outer discipline; such rules maintain eligibility for rites (daily and funerary) that are repeatedly emphasized as duty-bound actions with karmic significance.

Treat it as a traditional guideline for cleanliness and ritual readiness: avoid contamination of food and vessels, and when a lapse occurs, follow a simple corrective routine consistent with one’s tradition and community practice.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→