Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

कपालमोचने स्नात्वा वाराणस्यां तथैव च / सुरापस्तु सुरां पीत्वा अग्निवर्णां द्विजोत्तमः

Transliteration

kapālamocane snātvā vārāṇasyāṃ tathaiva ca / surāpastu surāṃ pītvā agnivarṇāṃ dvijottamaḥ

Translation

在迦波罗摩遮那沐浴，又同样在瓦拉纳西沐浴之后，那犯下饮酒之罪的婆罗门，应再饮一次酒——其色如火——以作忏悔之行，噢，二生中最胜者。

Word by Word

• कपालमोचने: at Kapālamocana
• कपालमोचने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular); समासः—कपालमोचन = कपालस्य मोचनम् (Kapālamocana, sacred place/rite)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): having bathed

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, locative singular)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• एव: indeed; exactly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle of emphasis: ‘indeed/just’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: ‘and’)

• सुरापः: a liquor-drinker
• सुरापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular); ‘सुराप’ = one who drinks liquor

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• सुराम्: liquor
• सुराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): having drunk

• अग्निवर्णाम्: fire-colored (liquor)
• अग्निवर्णाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular); समासः—अग्निवर्णा = अग्निवर्णा इव (fire-colored)

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विजोत्तम = द्विजानाम् उत्तमः (best of the twice-born)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within an instructional discourse on expiations)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāyaścitta can be intentionally harsh to counteract grave transgression; tīrtha-snāna is paired with a prescribed expiation to neutralize the karmic stain of surā-pāna.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-doṣa and its purification; the text stresses moral causality and the need for deliberate corrective action (saṃskāra-śuddhi).

Application: Treat addiction/ethical breach with structured remediation: confession, supervised discipline, and safeguards; recognize that ‘counter-habit’ methods must be guided by competent authority and non-harm principles.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha (sacred bathing place); sacred city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: prāyaścitta catalogues for mahāpātakas including surā-pāna (general internal linkage)

Characters & Entities

• Kapālamocana
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the importance of Kapālamocana and Vārāṇasī in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents them as powerful purification sites (tīrthas) used as part of prāyaścitta—ritual cleansing that supports moral and spiritual rehabilitation after grave misconduct.

How does this verse relate to karma and consequences in the Garuda Purana?

It implies that grave actions (like surāpāna) create heavy karmic burden, and the text prescribes disciplined expiation—through tīrtha-bathing and austerity-like measures—to mitigate consequences and restore dharmic order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat harmful intoxication as a serious ethical failing; pursue sincere reform through self-discipline, restitution, and spiritually grounding practices (pilgrimage, vows, charity, and guidance from qualified tradition-holders).