SB 10.75.21 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

सस्‍नुस्तत्र तत: सर्वे वर्णाश्रमयुता नरा: । महापातक्यपि यत: सद्यो मुच्येत किल्बिषात् ॥ २१ ॥

Verse text

sasnus tatra tataḥ sarve varṇāśrama-yutā narāḥ mahā-pātaky api yataḥ sadyo mucyeta kilbiṣāt

Synonyms

sasnuḥ — bathed ; tatra — there ; tataḥ — after this ; sarve — all ; varṇa — āśrama — the social system of sanctified occupational and spiritual orders ; yutāḥ — who belonged to ; narāḥ — humans ; mahā — greatly ; pātakī — one who is sinful ; api — even ; yataḥ — by which ; sadyaḥ — immediately ; mucyeta — can be freed ; kilbiṣāt — from contamination .

Translation

All the citizens belonging to the various orders of varṇa and āśrama then bathed in that place, where even the most grievous sinner can immediately be freed from all sinful reactions.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

All the citizens belonging to the various orders of varṇa and āśrama then bathed in that place, where even the most grievous sinner can immediately be freed from all sinful reactions. KB 10.75.21 When the King and the Queen finished their bath in the Ganges, all the other citizens, consisting of all the varṇas, or castes—the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras—took their baths in the Ganges. Bathing in the Ganges is recommended in the Vedic literature because by such bathing one is freed from all sinful reactions. This is still current in India, especially at particularly auspicious moments. At such times, millions of people bathe in the Ganges.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

After Yudhiṣṭhira bathed, the brāhmaṇas and others bathed, who also were of different āśramas. Those outside the varṇas and āśramas also bathed, but not at the same time. They bathed later. In Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said that Ṣatadhanvā became purified after he was born as a peacock by bathing at this time since at the avabhrṭhya places even the greatest sinner is freed of all sins. What to speak of doing so under the supervision of Yudhiṣṭhira and Vyāsa. What to speak of the avabhṛthya bath taking place in the Gaṅgā. What to speak of having the presence of Kṛṣṇa!

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

All the citizens belonging to the various orders of varṇa and āśrama then bathed in that place, or in the Gaṅgā, since they particularly had faith. Outcastes are excluded. Or even those without varṇa and āśṛama (avarṇāśrama-yutāḥ) bathed, because by bathing in the Gaṅgā even the greatest sinner is freed of all sins. Immediately a person achieves special freedom from killing a brāhmaṇa etc.