वैशम्पायनशिष्या वै चरकाध्वर्यवोऽभवन् । यच्चेरुर्ब्रह्महत्यांह: क्षपणं स्वगुरोर्व्रतम् ॥ ६१ ॥
vaiśampāyana-śiṣyā vai carakādhvaryavo ’bhavan yac cerur brahma-hatyāṁhaḥ kṣapaṇaṁ sva-guror vratam
- vaiśampāyana-śiṣyāḥ
- the disciples of Vaiśampāyana
- vai
- indeed
- caraka
- named the Carakas
- adhvaryavaḥ
- authorities of the Atharva Veda
- abhavan
- became
- yat
- because
- ceruḥ
- they executed
- brahma-hatyā
- due to the killing of a brāhmaṇa
- aṁhaḥ
- of the sin
- kṣapaṇam
- the expiation
- sva-guroḥ
- for their own guru
- vratam
- the vow
The disciples of Vaiśampāyana became authorities in the Atharva Veda. They were known as the Carakas because they executed strict vows to free their guru from his sin of killing a brāhmaṇa.