Shloka 24
सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः
स्नातो नाङ्गानि निर्मार्जेत् स्नानशाट्या न पाणिना न च निर्धूनयेत् केशान् नाचामेच् चैव चोत्थितः
snāto nāṅgāni nirmārjet snānaśāṭyā na pāṇinā na ca nirdhūnayet keśān nācāmec caiva cotthitaḥ
After bathing, one should not rub the limbs—neither with the bathing cloth nor with the hands; one should not shake the hair dry; and one should not perform ācamana while standing.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Sadācāra in daily rites: post-bath etiquette and ācamana procedure
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: precise
Concept: Maintain disciplined purity after bathing—observe proper bodily comportment and perform ācamana correctly—as outer order supports inner steadiness.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat daily hygiene and small rituals as mindfulness: slow down, keep cleanliness, and approach prayer/meditation with deliberate composure.
Vishishtadvaita: Bodily discipline is not rejected but consecrated: the body as the jīva’s instrument (śarīra) can be regulated to support worship of the indwelling Lord.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse treats bathing as a sacred act of purification that must be completed with restraint and proper decorum, reflecting dharma rather than mere physical cleanliness.
He specifies that ācamana should not be done while standing, emphasizing steadiness and reverence in acts of purification.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the discipline of śauca and ācāra is presented as living in harmony with the sacred order upheld by Vishnu as the supreme regulator of dharma.