Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15
Dharmopadeśa-Śānti: Rules of Impurity, Expiations, and Ancestor Rites
ऋतौ तु गर्भं शङ्कित्वा स्नानं मैथुनिनः स्मृतम् । अनॄतौ तु स्त्रियं गत्वा शौचं मूत्रपुरीषवत् ॥ १५ ॥
ṛtau tu garbhaṃ śaṅkitvā snānaṃ maithuninaḥ smṛtam | anṝtau tu striyaṃ gatvā śaucaṃ mūtrapurīṣavat || 15 ||
When intercourse occurs during the woman’s fertile season, one should bathe afterward, considering the possibility of conception—this is the rule taught for those who have had union. But if one approaches a woman outside her season, the required purification is like that prescribed after urination and defecation.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It frames bodily conduct within dharma by linking sexual activity to prescribed purification (śauca), emphasizing disciplined living and ritual cleanliness as supports for inner purity.
While not directly teaching bhakti, it supports devotional life indirectly by prescribing orderly, sattvic conduct for householders—cleanliness and restraint are treated as conducive foundations for worship and remembrance of the Divine.
Ritual praxis (kalpa-style śauca rules) is highlighted—practical regulations on when bathing is required and how purification differs based on ritu (proper season) versus anritu (improper time).