Shloka 54
Rules of Purity (Shauca) — Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller
नाभ्यङ्गितं कायमुपस्पृशेच्च स्नातो न केशान् विधुनीत चापि गात्राणि चैवाम्बरपाणिना च स्नातो विमृज्याद् रजनीचरेश
nābhyaṅgitaṃ kāyamupaspṛśecca snāto na keśān vidhunīta cāpi gātrāṇi caivāmbarapāṇinā ca snāto vimṛjyād rajanīcareśa
After bathing, one should not touch the body that has been anointed with oil (abhyaṅga), nor should one shake out the hair. Having bathed, one should wipe the limbs with the edge of one’s cloth (or a cloth held in the hand), O lord of the night-wanderers.
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FAQs
Purity is not merely physical cleanliness but a disciplined manner of comportment. The verse teaches mindfulness in small acts—how one dries oneself, handles hair, and avoids mixing states (oiled body vs. post-bath purity).
It is ācāra-oriented material (ritual hygiene) and does not directly map to the core pancalakṣaṇa categories; it functions as normative guidance embedded within Purāṇic instruction.
Hair and oil are treated as carriers of ‘residue’ and sensory excitation; restraining these actions symbolizes mastery over rajas (restlessness) and supports a sattvic, worship-ready state.