Shloka 54

Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence

Devanagari script

एकाहात् क्षत्रिये शुद्धिर्वैश्ये स्याच्च द्व्यहेन तु / शूद्रे दिनत्रयं प्रोक्तं प्राणायामशतं पुनः

Transliteration

ekāhāt kṣatriye śuddhirvaiśye syācca dvyahena tu / śūdre dinatrayaṃ proktaṃ prāṇāyāmaśataṃ punaḥ

Translation

Pour un Kṣatriya, la purification est obtenue après un jour ; pour un Vaiśya, il est dit qu’elle l’est après deux jours. Pour un Śūdra, trois jours sont prescrits, et l’on enseigne en outre cent cycles de prāṇāyāma comme purification supplémentaire.

Word by Word

• एकाहात्: after one day / by one day
• एकाहात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अवधि), एकवचन; ‘एक-अह’ (=one day) इति तत्पुरुष

• क्षत्रिये: in the case of a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रिये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुद्धिः: purification (period)
• शुद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैश्ये: in the case of a Vaishya
• वैश्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• द्व्यहेन: by two days / for two days
• द्व्यहेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/परिमाण), एकवचन; ‘द्वि-अह’ (=two days) इति तत्पुरुष

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• शूद्रे: in the case of a Shudra
• शूद्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिनत्रयम्: three days
• दिनत्रयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वाक्ये ‘प्रोक्तम्’ इत्यनेन सह); ‘तीन दिन’ इति तत्पुरुष

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘said/declared’

• प्राणायामशतम्: a hundred (rounds) of breath-control
• प्राणायामशतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (अनुवाक्ये ‘प्रोक्तम्’); ‘प्राणायामानां शतम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति/अधिक-अव्यय (again/further)

Speaker

Traditional Purana narrator (Sūta) conveying dharma-instructions as taught in the Kurma Purana

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Kshatriya
• Vaishya
• Shudra
• Pranayama

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

It does so indirectly: by prescribing external and internal purification (including prāṇāyāma), it supports the broader Purāṇic aim of making the mind fit for Self-knowledge and devotion—conditions for realizing the Ātman beyond ritual impurity.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Prāṇāyāma (regulated breath-restraint) is explicitly given as a purifying discipline, aligning with Yogic and Pāśupata-style emphasis on inner cleansing alongside outer observances.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

This specific verse is primarily dharma-prescriptive and does not directly discuss Shiva–Vishnu unity; it contributes to the shared ethical and yogic framework through which the Kurma Purana integrates Shaiva and Vaishnava paths.