Shloka 40

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

दशाहं ब्राह्मणस्तिष्ठेद्दानहोमादिवर्जितः ।

क्षत्रियो द्वादशाहञ्च वैश्यो मासार्धमेव च ॥

Transliteration

daśāhaṃ brāhmaṇas tiṣṭhed dāna-homādi-varjitaḥ | kṣatriyo dvādaśāhañ ca vaiśyo māsārdham eva ca ||

Translation

Ein Brāhmaṇa soll die aśauca (Zeit ritueller Unreinheit) zehn Tage lang einhalten und dabei von Gaben, Feueropfern und dergleichen abstehen. Ein Kṣatriya (tut dies) zwölf Tage, ein Vaiśya einen halben Monat.

Word by Word

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्याविशेषण), indeclinable-like usage in compound; used with अहन् to form duration

• aham: days (as a period)
• aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used adverbially as duration (कालावधि)

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tiṣṭhet: should remain/abstain (stay)
• tiṣṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धाातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; injunction

• dāna-homa-ādi-varjitaḥ: devoid of gifts, fire-offerings, etc.
• dāna-homa-ādi-varjitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + homa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त, √vṛj/varj ‘to avoid’)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; compound: dāna-homa-ādi (dvandva-like list) as qualifier to varjita; agrees with ब्राह्मणः

• kṣatriyaḥ: a Kshatriya
• kṣatriyaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्याविशेषण), used with अहन् to form duration

• aham: days (as a period)
• aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; duration (कालावधि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• vaiśyaḥ: a Vaishya
• vaiśyaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• māsa-ardham: half a month
• māsa-ardham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘half of a month’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) used as duration

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of emphasis (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Gṛhastha duties
• Śauca/Aśauca
• Antyeṣṭi (funerary) norms

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual discipline after death channels grief into regulated conduct: by temporarily pausing auspicious rites (dāna, homa), the household acknowledges liminality and restores order through dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage is primarily Ācāra/Dharma-śāstra material (not one of the five pancalakṣaṇa headings directly), loosely supporting ‘vaṃśānucarita’ by regulating family rites, but functionally it is prescriptive dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

Aśauca marks a transitional ‘in-between’ state: restraint from sacrificial/meritorious acts symbolizes withdrawal of outward ritual power until the subtle disorder caused by death is ritually resolved.