Vamana Purana — Rules of Purity (Shauca), Shloka 53
Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller
देवालयं चैत्यतरुं चतुष्पथं विद्याधिकं चापि गुरुं प्रदक्षिणम् माल्यान्नपानं वसनानि यत्नतो नान्यैर्धृतांश्चापि हि धारयेद् बुधः // वम्प्_14.52 स्नायाच्छिरःस्नानतया च नित्यं न कारणं चैव विना निशासु ग्रहोपरागे स्वजनापयाते मुक्त्वा च जन्मर्क्षगते शशङ्के
devālayaṃ caityataruṃ catuṣpathaṃ vidyādhikaṃ cāpi guruṃ pradakṣiṇam mālyānnapānaṃ vasanāni yatnato nānyairdhṛtāṃścāpi hi dhārayed budhaḥ // VamP_14.52 snāyācchiraḥsnānatayā ca nityaṃ na kāraṇaṃ caiva vinā niśāsu grahoparāge svajanāpayāte muktvā ca janmarkṣagate śaśaṅke
Orang bijak hendaknya melakukan pradakṣiṇa mengelilingi kuil, pohon suci (caitya-taru), perempatan, orang yang unggul dalam ilmu, dan juga guru. Dengan hati-hati ia tidak mengenakan karangan bunga, sisa makanan/minuman (ucchiṣṭa), atau pakaian yang telah dipakai orang lain. Ia hendaknya mandi membasuh kepala setiap hari, dan tidak mandi pada malam hari tanpa alasan yang patut—kecuali saat gerhana, saat ada kematian keluarga/masa berkabung, dan ketika bulan berada pada nakṣatra kelahiran (janma-nakṣatra).
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FAQs
The verse codifies everyday dharma as embodied reverence: honoring sacred loci (temple/tree/crossroads), honoring living embodiments of dharma (guru, the learned), and maintaining personal integrity through purity and restraint (avoiding others’ used items). It frames discipline (niyama) as a support for sattva and social harmony.
This passage is best classified under ancillary dharma-śāstra style instruction rather than the five hallmark topics; it aligns loosely with ‘ācāra’ material that often accompanies Vamśānucarita and tīrtha-māhātmya sections, but it is not directly Sarga/Pratisarga/Vaṃśa/Manvantara/Vaṃśānucarita.
Pradakṣiṇā symbolizes placing the sacred at one’s center (moving around it in a rightward, auspicious orientation). The cautions about night-bathing and used items emphasize boundaries that protect ritual potency (tejas) and mental clarity, while the eclipse and birth-star exceptions acknowledge liminal times that demand special observance.