Shloka 10

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

पादावसेचनोच्छिष्टे प्रक्षिपेन् न गृहाङ्गणे

Transliteration

pādāvasecanocchiṣṭe prakṣipen na gṛhāṅgaṇe

Translation

One should not throw into the house courtyard the leftover water from washing the feet.

Word by Word

• पाद: of the foot
• पाद: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (of the foot)

• अवसेचन: washing
• अवसेचन: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव + सिच् (धातु) → अवसेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (washing)

• उच्छिष्टे: in the leftover (water)
• उच्छिष्टे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; ‘leftover water/remnant’

• प्रक्षिपेत्: should throw; should cast
• प्रक्षिपेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; निषेधेन सह (with negation)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• गृहाङ्गणे: in the house-courtyard
• गृहाङ्गणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘गृहस्य अङ्गणम्’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Household purity (gṛha-śauca): proper disposal of leftover water from washing feet

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: practical and regulatory

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Domestic order is maintained by not discarding impure leftover wash-water into the household courtyard.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep living spaces clean and designate appropriate drainage/waste areas to support health and a calm ritual-ready home.

Vishishtadvaita: Śauca as a supportive discipline for bhakti—external order aids internal composure in a life oriented to the Lord.

FAQs

What is the significance of leftover water (ucchiṣṭa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats foot-wash residue as ucchiṣṭa—something to be disposed of carefully—so the household courtyard remains a ritually ordered, auspicious space.

How does Sage Parāśara explain household discipline in this chapter?

Parāśara presents practical rules of gṛhastha-ācāra, where everyday cleanliness and mindful disposal of remnants support dharma and sustain sacred order within the home.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the discipline of purity and order is framed as aligning domestic life with the sustaining principle of the universe—Vishnu as the preserver of dharma.