Verse 11.250

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

सकृत्जप्त्वाऽस्यवामीयं शिवसङ्कल्पमेव च ।
अपहृत्य सुवर्णं तु क्षणाद् भवति निर्मलः ॥ २५० ॥

sakṛtjaptvā'syavāmīyaṃ śivasaṅkalpameva ca |
apahṛtya suvarṇaṃ tu kṣaṇād bhavati nirmalaḥ || 250 ||

Having stolen gold, one instantly becomes free from impurity, by reciting once the ‘Āsyavāmīya hymn’ and the ‘Śivasaṅkalpa hymn.’—(250)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

From the mention of ‘once’ in the present text, it follows that in the foregoing verses, a repetition is meant; and this is also indicated by usage and by what we find expressly stated in other cases:—e.g., ‘Having recited the “Aghamarṣaṇa Hymn” three times’ (259); which is connected with conditional liability.

‘Āsyavāmīya’ is the name of that hymn ‘which contains the word asyavama,’—the word being formed according to Pāṇini, 5.2.59. This is a hymn containing fifty-two verses, beginning with the words ‘asya vāmasya palitasya hotuḥ’ (Ṛgveda, 1.164.1.).

‘Śivasaṅkalpa Hymn’—consisting of six verses, beginning with ‘yajjāgrato dūramudaiti.’ (Vājasaneya Saṃhitā, 34.1).—(250)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.304), which remarks that this refers to a case where a person with excellent qualifications has stolen the gold belonging to a man with absolutely no good qualities.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (26.6).—‘Even the gold-stealer becomes instantly freed from guilt, if he once recites the hymn beginning with “Asya vāmasya,” and also the Śivasaṅkalpa texts.’

Yājñavalkya (3.303).—(See above verse 249.)