Shloka 71

Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय

Devanagari script

छाया च विप्लुषो विप्रा मक्षिकाद्या द्विजोत्तमाः रजो भूर् वायुर् अग्निश् च मेध्यानि स्पर्शने सदा

Transliteration

chāyā ca vipluṣo viprā makṣikādyā dvijottamāḥ rajo bhūr vāyur agniś ca medhyāni sparśane sadā

Translation

Ô brāhmanes éminents, l’ombre, les gouttelettes éparses, les mouches et autres, la poussière, la terre, le vent et le feu sont toujours tenus pour purs quant au toucher : leur contact n’engendre pas d’impureté.

Word by Word

• छाया (chāyā): shadow

• च (ca): and

• विप्लुषः (vipluṣaḥ): scattered drops/sprinkled droplets

• विप्राः (viprāḥ): O Brāhmaṇas

• मक्षिका-आद्याः (makṣikā-ādyāḥ): flies and similar (small creatures)

• द्विजोत्तमाः (dvijottamāḥ): O best of the twice-born

• रजः (rajaḥ): dust

• भूः (bhūḥ): earth/ground

• वायुः (vāyuḥ): wind/air

• अग्निः (agniḥ): fire

• च (ca): and

• मेध्यानि (medhyāni): pure/fit (not causing defilement)

• स्पर्शने (sparśane): in the matter of touch/by contact

• सदा (sadā): always.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating śāstric rules to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Vayu

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It clarifies that contact with naturally purifying factors—earth, wind, fire, dust, shadow, and incidental droplets—does not create ritual impurity, supporting uninterrupted śauca for Śiva-liṅga pūjā.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By emphasizing what is inherently pure by touch, it echoes Śiva-tattva as the ever-pure (nitya-śuddha) Pati; ritual śauca mirrors the aspirant’s movement from pasha-bound impurity toward Śiva’s stainless nature.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights śauca (purity discipline) as a practical rule for daily pūjā; in a Pāśupata framing, such outer purity supports steadiness of sādhana and the inner purification of the paśu from pāśa.