Vamana Purana — Rules of Purity (Shauca), Shloka 33

Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

उदङ्मुखः प्राङ्मुखो वापि विद्वान् प्रक्षाल्य पादौ भुवि संनिविष्टः समाचमेदद्भिरफेनिलाभिरादौ परिमृज्य मुखं द्विरद्भिः

Transliteration

udaṅmukhaḥ prāṅmukho vāpi vidvān prakṣālya pādau bhuvi saṃniviṣṭaḥ samācamedadbhiraphenilābhirādau parimṛjya mukhaṃ dviradbhiḥ

Translation

Facing north or east, the learned person, having washed the feet and seated on the ground, should perform ācamana with water free of foam; first wiping the face, one should sip the water twice.

Word by Word

• उदङ्-मुखः: facing north
• उदङ्-मुखः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदङ् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom, 1st), एकवचन (sg); कर्मधारयः: ‘उदङ् एव मुखं यस्य’ = ‘north-facing’

• प्राङ्-मुखः: facing east
• प्राङ्-मुखः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राङ् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom, 1st), एकवचन (sg); कर्मधारयः: ‘east-facing’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प particle ‘or’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also’

• विद्वान्: a learned person
• विद्वान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom, 1st), एकवचन (sg)

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), from √क्षल् ‘to wash’ with prefix प्र; ‘having washed’

• पादौ: (his) two feet
• पादौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m), द्वितीया (Acc, 2nd), द्विवचन (du)

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f), सप्तमी (Loc, 7th), एकवचन (sg)

• संनिविष्टः: seated
• संनिविष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m), प्रथमा (Nom, 1st), एकवचन (sg); ‘seated/settled’

• समाचमेत्: should sip (water) for ācamana
• समाचमेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• अद्भिः: with water
• अद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f), तृतीया (Instr, 3rd), बहुवचन (pl); irregular stem ‘अप्’ → ‘अद्भिः’

• अफेनिलाभिः: non-foamy (clear)
• अफेनिलाभिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-फेनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f), तृतीया (Instr, 3rd), बहुवचन (pl); adjective qualifying ‘अद्भिः’

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत्/अव्ययप्रयोग; locative used adverbially ‘at first’

• परिमृज्य: having wiped
• परिमृज्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-मृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), from √मृज् ‘to wipe’ with prefix परि; ‘having wiped’

• मुखम्: mouth/face
• मुखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n), द्वितीया (Acc, 2nd), एकवचन (sg)

• द्विः: twice
• द्विः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; frequency adverb ‘twice’

• अद्भिः: with water
• अद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f), तृतीया (Instr, 3rd), बहुवचन (pl)

Speakers

• Narrative frame not explicit in the provided excerpt; prescriptive dharma-voice (ācāra instruction).

Key Themes

• Vrata/Rituals
• Ācamana
• Directional discipline (north/east facing)
• Śauca

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual begins with composure: correct direction, posture, and clean water cultivate attentiveness (apramāda) and readiness for sacred acts.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

Ancillary dharma/ācāra material focused on rite-procedure, not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the symbolic significance?

Facing east/north aligns the practitioner with auspicious cosmic orientation; ācamana signifies internal purification—turning external cleanliness into readiness of speech and mind for mantra and worship.