Shloka 85

Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय

Devanagari script

अष्टाब्दाद् एकरात्रेण शुद्धिः स्याद् बान्धवस्य तु द्वादशाब्दात्ततश्चार्वाक् त्रिरात्रं स्त्रीषु सुव्रताः

Transliteration

aṣṭābdād ekarātreṇa śuddhiḥ syād bāndhavasya tu dvādaśābdāttataścārvāk trirātraṃ strīṣu suvratāḥ

Translation

আট বছর অতিক্রান্ত হলে আত্মীয়ের (মৃত্যু-অশৌচের) শুদ্ধি এক রাত্রিতেই হয়। কিন্তু বারো বছর থেকে ঊর্ধ্বে, সুভ্রতা নারীদের ক্ষেত্রে তিন রাত্রি শুদ্ধি পালনীয় বলা হয়েছে।

Word by Word

• अष्टाब्दात्: after eight years

• एकरात्रेण: by one night

• शुद्धिः: purification (ritual purity)

• स्यात्: is/should be

• बान्धवस्य: of a relative/kinsman

• तु: indeed

• द्वादशाब्दात्: after twelve years

• ततः: then/from that point

• च: and

• अर्वाक्: onward/thereafter

• त्रिरात्रम्: three nights

• स्त्रीषु: in the case of women

• सुव्रताः: those of good vows/virtuous women

Speaker

Suta Goswami

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It sets the minimum purification periods after bereavement, indicating when a devotee may properly return to Shiva-puja and Linga-archana without the बाधा (ritual obstruction) of ashauca.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Implicitly, it presents Shiva as Pati—the Lord approached through ordered dharma: purity disciplines regulate the devotee’s readiness to re-enter worship, so the pashu (bound soul) moves from disturbance toward sattvic steadiness.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ritual discipline (niyama) regarding ashauca-shuddhi—observing one-night or three-night purification—so that Shiva-puja and related vows can be resumed in the proper state.