Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 2.44
॥
Devanāgarī
प्रमादेनैकदा त्वनभ्यर्च्य मां भुक्त्वा भोजयित्वा केशान्वापयित्वा गव्यानां पञ्च संगृह्योपोष्य जले रुद्रस्नानम्
Transliteration (IAST)
pramādenaikadā tvanabhyarcya māṃ bhuktvā bhojayitvā keśānvāpayitvā gavyānāṃ pañca saṃgṛhyopoṣya jale rudrasnānam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रमादेन एकदा तु अन्-अभ्यर्च्यpramādena ekadā tu an-abhyarcyahaving once, through negligence, not honored [me]
मां भुक्त्वा भोजयित्वाmāṃ bhuktvā bhojayitvāhaving eaten me, having fed [others]
केशान् वापयित्वाkeśān vāpayitvāhaving shaved the hair
गव्यानां पञ्च संगृह्यgavyānāṃ pañca saṃgṛhyahaving gathered the five products of the cow
उपोष्य जले रुद्र-स्नानम्upoṣya jale rudra-snānamhaving fasted, in water — bathing to Rudra
Translation
«Having once, through negligence, not honored me — having eaten, having fed [others], having shaved the hair, having gathered the five products of the cow, having fasted, [having performed] in water a bathing to Rudra…»
Version
9ff9391dea0a · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
An atonement is prescribed, and it is worth noting what it consists of: feeding others, shaving the head, fasting, bathing. The first of the four is the most striking: bhojayitvā, «having fed». That is, the one who erred by eating without first offering makes amends by feeding others.
This correspondence is, to my mind, excellent, and it occurs often in laws of atonement. The atonement is chosen to match the substance of the offense: he ate for himself — let him feed others. This rule is worth stating separately, for it applies far beyond ritual. One corrects not by repentance in general, but by an act opposite to what was done. One who has taken, gives; one who has lied, speaks the truth; one who has offended, goes and serves the one offended.
The Vaishnava side holds this same rule and applies it. An offense against a devotee is atoned for not by fasting and bathing, but by going to the one offended and asking forgiveness; and the Bhāgavatam speaks of this directly in the story of Durvāsā, who circled every world and was sent back — to Ambarīṣa, whom he had offended (9.4). Separately worth mentioning pañca-gavya, «the five products of the cow»; this was discussed when reading Bhikṣuka (4), where it was noted that this custom is a custom of its time.