Shloka 42
मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः
Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association
स्पृष्टे स्नानं सचैलस्य शुद्धिहेतुर् महामुने पुंसो भवति तस्योक्ता न शुद्धिः पापकर्मणः
spṛṣṭe snānaṃ sacailasya śuddhihetur mahāmune puṃso bhavati tasyoktā na śuddhiḥ pāpakarmaṇaḥ
O great sage, when one is defiled by contact, bathing even with one’s garments on is declared a means of purification for a man; but for the doer of sinful deeds, such cleansing is not spoken of as true purity.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Distinction between external ritual cleansing (contact impurity) and inner purity for sinners
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: discriminating
Concept: Bathing (even clothed) purifies contact-defilement, but it does not constitute true purity for one engaged in sinful action.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Combine outer discipline (clean habits, rituals) with inner reform (truthfulness, restraint, compassion); do not mistake ritual for moral transformation.
Vishishtadvaita: True śuddhi is alignment of conduct with Bhagavān’s will; external rites are supports, not substitutes, for surrendered ethical life.
FAQs
This verse treats sacaila-snāna as an effective remedy for impurity caused by contact, emphasizing a specific ritual method of restoring external purity.
Parāśara distinguishes defilement from contact—remedied by bathing—from pāpa (sinful conduct), for which mere ritual washing is not considered genuine purification.
Within the Purana’s dharma-teaching frame, the verse implies that real purity is not only external but rooted in right action and inner rectitude—qualities aligned with living under Vishnu’s cosmic order (dharma).