Vamana Purana — Rules of Purity (Shauca), Shloka 15

Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

गृहस्थेन सदा कार्यमाचारपरिपालनम् न ह्याचारविहिनस्य भद्रमत्र परत्र च

Transliteration

gṛhasthena sadā kāryamācāraparipālanam na hyācāravihinasya bhadramatra paratra ca

Translation

«على ربّ البيت (غِرهاسثا) أن يحافظ دائمًا على السلوك القويم ويقيمه؛ فإن من خلا من حسن السلوك لا ينال خيرًا لا في هذه الدنيا ولا في الآخرة».

Word by Word

• गृहस्थेन: by a householder
• गृहस्थेन: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument: ‘by/for a householder’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्यम्: to be done / obligatory
• कार्यम्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate necessity)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicative)

• आचारपरिपालनम्: observance of proper conduct
• आचारपरिपालनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of ‘to be done’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार + परि + पाल (धातु) + अन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आचारस्य परिपालनम्’ (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारण/हेतु-भाव (emphasis/for)

• आचारविहिनस्य: of one devoid of conduct
• आचारविहिनस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचार + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; ‘आचारेण विहीनः’ (instrumental/ablative sense in compound)

• भद्रम्: welfare/good fortune
• भद्रम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject: ‘good (result)’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• परत्र: hereafter / in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the other world/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

Speakers

• Ṛṣis (continuing instruction) to the Niśācara/inquirer

Key Themes

• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Ācāra as foundation of prosperity
• Ethics and afterlife consequence
• Normative social-religious discipline

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

For the gṛhastha—seen in Dharmaśāstra as society’s stabilizing pillar—ācāra is not optional. Welfare (bhadra) is framed as inseparable from disciplined conduct, affecting both worldly flourishing and post-mortem destiny.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is dharma-śikṣā (ethical instruction) rather than sarga/pratisarga. It functions as Purāṇic normative teaching that supports the lived application of Vedic order within the narrative corpus.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Atra’ and ‘paratra’ pair the visible and invisible outcomes of action: ācāra becomes a bridge between social harmony now and karmic/spiritual continuity later, making ethics a cosmically consequential practice.