Shloka 77

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

Devanagari script

उन्देफ़िलब्ले पेओप्ले नैवाशौचं यतीनां च वनस्थब्रह्मचारिणाम् नैष्ठिकानां नृपाणां च मण्डलीनां च सुव्रताः

Transliteration

undefilable people naivāśaucaṃ yatīnāṃ ca vanasthabrahmacāriṇām naiṣṭhikānāṃ nṛpāṇāṃ ca maṇḍalīnāṃ ca suvratāḥ

Translation

For yatis (renunciants), forest-dwelling brahmacārins, steadfast keepers of vows, kings, and disciplined ascetics who uphold sacred observances, there is no state of āśauca (ritual impurity). Their purity is upheld by unwavering vrata and inner restraint, oriented to the Pati—Lord Śiva—beyond worldly defilement.

Word by Word

• na eva: not at all

• āśaucam: ritual impurity/period of impurity

• yatīnām: of ascetics/renunciants

• ca: and

• vanastha-brahmacāriṇām: of brahmacārins dwelling in the forest

• naiṣṭhikānām: of those firm in lifelong vows/steadfast practitioners

• nṛpāṇām: of kings/rulers

• ca: and

• maṇḍalīnām: of maṇḍalins (disciplined ascetics/initiates maintaining a regulated observance)

• ca: and

• su-vratāḥ: those of good vows, well-observant practitioners.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It prioritizes vrata and disciplined Śiva-oriented conduct as the basis of purity, implying that committed practitioners can maintain continuity in Linga-pūjā without interruption by ordinary āśauca rules.

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

By implying a purity grounded in steadfast observance rather than external conditions, it points to Śiva-tattva as the Pati beyond worldly defilement, toward whom the practitioner’s inner discipline is directed.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The emphasis is on naiṣṭhika-vrata (lifelong steadfast vows) and regulated ascetic discipline (maṇḍalī observance), aligning with Pāśupata-style inner purity supporting uninterrupted worship and practice.