Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

हस्ताभ्यां क्षालितं वस्त्रं कारुणा च यथाविधि कुशांबुना सुसंप्रोक्ष्य गृह्णीयाद्धर्मवित्तमः

Transliteration

hastābhyāṃ kṣālitaṃ vastraṃ kāruṇā ca yathāvidhi kuśāṃbunā susaṃprokṣya gṛhṇīyāddharmavittamaḥ

Translation

Seorang yang mengetahui dharma hendaknya mengambil kain yang dicuci dengan tangannya sendiri; sesuai tata cara, dengan welas-asih dan bhakti, setelah diperciki air yang disucikan oleh rumput kuśa, ia menerimanya untuk upacara.

Word by Word

• हस्ताभ्याम्: with (his) two hands

• क्षालितम्: washed/cleansed

• वस्त्रम्: cloth/garment

• कारुणा: with compassion/reverent softness of heart

• च: and

• यथाविधि: according to rule

• कुशाम्बुना: with water (made sacred) by kuśa-grass

• सुसंप्रोक्ष्य: having well sprinkled/purified

• गृह्णीयात्: should take/accept

• धर्मवित्तमः: the best knower of dharma (ritual propriety).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja procedure to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It emphasizes śauca (ritual cleanliness) as a foundation for Linga-puja: the offering cloth must be personally washed and ritually sanctified with kuśa-water before being used for Mahadeva’s worship.

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

By requiring compassionate, rule-governed purity, it points to Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord who responds to bhakti grounded in inner refinement (karuṇā) and disciplined conduct, not mere external display.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A puja-vidhi practice of purification (prokṣaṇa) using kuśa-sanitized water and self-performed cleansing, aligning outer worship with the yogic ideal of inner and outer śuddhi in the Pāśupata-oriented Shaiva path.