Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

अन्तःप्राण्यवपन्नां च हलोत्खातां च पार्थिव परित्यजेन् मृदश् चैताः सकलाः शौचसाधने

Transliteration

antaḥprāṇyavapannāṃ ca halotkhātāṃ ca pārthiva parityajen mṛdaś caitāḥ sakalāḥ śaucasādhane

Translation

O king, for purification one should wholly avoid clods of earth defiled by contact with living creatures, and also earth turned up by the plough; none of these is to be used as a means of ritual cleanliness.

Word by Word

• अन्तः-प्राणि-अवपन्नाम्: (earth) into which living creatures have fallen / containing organisms
• अन्तः-प्राणि-अवपन्नाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय) + प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अवपन्न (कृदन्त; √पद्/√पत् धातु, अव-उपसर्ग; ‘fallen/entered’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण — “अवपन्ना” = fallen into/containing

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हल-उत्खाताम्: (earth) dug up by a plough
• हल-उत्खाताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हल (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्खात (कृदन्त; √खन् धातु, उत्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• परित्यजेत्: should abandon/avoid
• परित्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु) [परि-उपसर्ग]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मृदः: clays/earths
• मृदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सकलाः: all
• सकलाः: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• शौच-साधने: in the means of purification
• शौच-साधने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; addressing a ruler-figure as 'pārthiva' in the verse wording)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Which soils are prohibited for śauca, including those defiled by living beings or disturbed by agriculture

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual cleanliness requires avoiding earth tainted by organisms or freshly overturned by the plough, since such contact compromises śauca.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In worship and hygiene, prefer uncontaminated, responsibly sourced materials; treat living habitats and cultivated land with care.

Vishishtadvaita: Non-harm and purity align with seeing beings as belonging to the Lord; śauca becomes an expression of reverence toward His embodied creation.

Characters & Entities

• Sage Parāśara
• Maitreya
• King (pārthiva)

FAQs

What is the significance of śauca (purity) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats śauca as a concrete dharmic discipline: even the cleansing medium (earth) must be properly chosen, reflecting that purity is maintained through careful, rule-governed conduct.

How does Sage Parāśara explain what earth should not be used for cleansing?

He states that earth associated with living beings (defiled by contact) and earth freshly turned by a plough should be completely avoided as a cleansing agent.

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

Although not named in the verse, these purity rules belong to dharma-ācāra, the ordered way of life ultimately sustained by Vishnu as the upholder of universal order and righteous practice.