Vamana Purana — Dietary Rules & Purification, Shloka 7

Dietary Rules, Purification (Śauca), and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

नागदन्तास्थिशृङ्गाणां तक्षणाच्छुद्धिरिष्यते पुनः पाकेन भाण्डानां मृन्मयानां च मेध्यता

Transliteration

nāgadantāsthiśṛṅgāṇāṃ takṣaṇācchuddhiriṣyate punaḥ pākena bhāṇḍānāṃ mṛnmayānāṃ ca medhyatā

Translation

For ivory, bone, and horn, purification is accepted as arising from scraping/paring. And for earthen vessels, fitness (for use) is restored again by re-firing (heating/baking).

Word by Word

• नाग-दन्त-अस्थि-शृङ्गाणाम्: of elephant-teeth (ivory), bones, and horns
• नाग-दन्त-अस्थि-शृङ्गाणाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + दन्त + अस्थि + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (समाहार), षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (ivory/elephant-teeth, bones, horns)

• तक्षणात्: by scraping/cutting
• तक्षणात्: Karana (करण/Means; expressed by ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; √तक्ष् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative: 'by/from scraping/cutting')

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इष्यते: is prescribed
• इष्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; 'is prescribed/accepted'

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ (again/further)

• पाकेन: by cooking/baking
• पाकेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• भाण्डानाम्: of vessels/pots
• भाण्डानाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• मृन्-मयानाम्: of earthen (ones)
• मृन्-मयानाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद्/मृन् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (made of clay); षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषण (earthen)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मेध्यता: purity/fitness for ritual
• मेध्यता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेध्यता (प्रातिपदिक; मेध्य + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speakers

• Not stated in the provided excerpt (commonly framed as Pulastya → Nārada in this Purāṇa
• but not asserted here)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Dharma
• Shauca (Purity rules)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purification is defined as removal or transformation of the contaminated surface: scraping removes the affected layer; re-firing transforms the clay and symbolically ‘renews’ the vessel.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Ancillary ācāra/dharma material, not pancalakṣaṇa narrative cosmology or genealogy.

What is the symbolic significance?

Scraping implies discernment—discarding the tainted outer accretion; fire (pāka) is the archetypal purifier, representing tapas-like transformation that restores ritual usability.