Shloka 8

Dietary Rules & Purification — Dietary Rules, Purification (Śauca), and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

शुचि भैक्षं कारुहस्तः पण्यं योषिन्मुखं तथा रथ्यागतमविज्ञातं दासवर्गेण यत्कृतम्

Transliteration

śuci bhaikṣaṃ kāruhastaḥ paṇyaṃ yoṣinmukhaṃ tathā rathyāgatamavijñātaṃ dāsavargeṇa yatkṛtam

Translation

Alms-food (bhikṣā) is regarded as pure; merchandise handled by an artisan’s hand is to be weighed cautiously with respect to purity; likewise contact with a woman’s mouth; an unknown item obtained from the street; and that which is made by the class of servants—these are categories considered when judging purity and acceptability.

Word by Word

• शुचि: pure
• शुचि: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (pure)

• भैक्षम्: alms/food obtained by begging
• भैक्षम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कारु-हस्तः: the artisan’s hand
• कारु-हस्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारु + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कारोः हस्तः = artisan's hand)

• पण्यम्: merchandise/commodity
• पण्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• योषित्-मुखम्: a woman’s mouth/face
• योषित्-मुखम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (woman's mouth/face)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थ (thus/also)

• रथ्या-गतम्: that which has come from the street
• रथ्या-गतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ्या + गत (√गम् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (rathyāyām gatam = come from the street)

• अविज्ञातम्: unknown/unidentified
• अविज्ञातम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-वि-ज्ञात (√ज्ञा धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'unknown/unrecognized'

• दास-वर्गेण: by a group of servants
• दास-वर्गेण: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument; by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (group of servants/slaves); करण

• यत्-कृतम्: which has been done/made
• यत्-कृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (√कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (relative compound: 'what is done'); भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speakers

• Not stated in the provided excerpt (commonly framed as Pulastya → Nārada in this Purāṇa
• but not asserted here)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Shauca (Purity rules)
• Social norms in ritual contexts

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse reflects a dharma-text tendency to classify sources and contacts by perceived purity risk, emphasizing vigilance about provenance (unknown street items) and contamination (mouth-contact) for those pursuing ritual cleanliness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Ancillary dharma/ācāra guidance rather than the Purāṇic fivefold cosmological-genealogical framework.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Unknown from the street’ symbolizes uncontrolled contact and uncertain lineage/provenance; ‘mouth’ symbolizes the intimate boundary of bodily impurity; together they encode a broader principle: purity depends on traceability and controlled handling.