Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

सस्नेहमस्थि संस्पृस्य सवासाः स्नानमाचरेत् आचम्यैव तु निःस्नेहं गामालभ्यार्कमीक्ष्य च

Transliteration

sasnehamasthi saṃspṛsya savāsāḥ snānamācaret ācamyaiva tu niḥsnehaṃ gāmālabhyārkamīkṣya ca

Translation

من مسَّ عظمًا عليه دهنٌ (لحمٌ أو شحم)، فليغتسل وهو لابسٌ ثيابه. ثم بعد أداء الآجامنة (ācāmana؛ ارتشاف ماء التطهير)، فإذا زال الدهن، فليمسَّ بقرةً ولينظر إلى الشمس.

Word by Word

• सस्नेहम्: greasy/with fat
• सस्नेहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter; विशेषण—‘with grease/oil’

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• संस्पृश्य: having touched
• संस्पृश्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; gerund ‘having touched’

• सवासाः: while clothed
• सवासाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine; विशेषण—‘clothed/with garments’

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; optative ‘should perform/practise’

• आचम्य: having performed ācamana
• आचम्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; gerund ‘having sipped (water)’

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात; emphatic particle

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात; particle ‘but/and then’

• निःस्नेहम्: without oil/grease
• निःस्नेहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter; विशेषण—‘without grease’

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular feminine

• आलभ्य: having touched
• आलभ्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; gerund ‘having touched/handled’ (आलभ्य)

• अर्कम्: the sun
• अर्कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• ईक्ष्य: having looked at
• ईक्ष्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकाल; gerund ‘having looked at’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात; conjunction

Speakers

• Pulastya → Nārada (general dharma instruction; verse-level speaker not explicit here)

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Śauca (purity rules)
• Snāna and ācāmana procedures

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purification is not only removal of physical contamination (grease) but restoration of ritual fitness through standardized acts—bath, ācāmana, and auspicious reorientation.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is procedural dharma content; it supports lived religion rather than cosmological or dynastic pañcalakṣaṇa themes.

What is the symbolic significance?

Touching the cow (a marker of auspicious purity) and viewing the sun (a witness and purifier) function as ritual ‘re-entry’ signs—affirming cleanliness, truth, and renewed eligibility for sacred acts.