Vamana Purana — Rules of Purity (Shauca), Shloka 32
Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller
नान्तर्जलाद्राक्षस मूषिकस्थलात् शौचावशिष्टा शरणात् तथान्या वल्मीकमृच्चैव हि शौचनाय ग्राह्य सदाचारविदा नरेण
nāntarjalādrākṣasa mūṣikasthalāt śaucāvaśiṣṭā śaraṇāt tathānyā valmīkamṛccaiva hi śaucanāya grāhya sadācāravidā nareṇa
One should not take (cleansing) earth from within water, from places haunted by rākṣasas, from rat-holes/rat-grounds, from what is left over after someone’s cleansing, from shelters/refuges, and other such places. But earth from an anthill (valmīka-mṛt) is indeed to be taken for cleansing by a man who knows proper conduct.
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FAQs
Purity is not only an act but also a discernment (viveka): one must choose uncontaminated means, reflecting an ethic of carefulness and non-negligence in daily religious life.
Ancillary dharma/ācāra material (ritual hygiene norms), not one of the five defining purāṇic characteristics.
The rejection of ‘mixed’ or ‘dwelt-in’ earth underscores the idea that ritual tools carry saṃskāra (impressions/contagion). Anthill earth is treated as naturally processed/filtered and thus ritually suitable.