Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय
संत्यागं चैव वस्त्राणां वर्जयेत्सर्वयत्नतः स्नात्वान्यपुरुषं नारी न स्पृशेत्तु रजस्वला
saṃtyāgaṃ caiva vastrāṇāṃ varjayetsarvayatnataḥ snātvānyapuruṣaṃ nārī na spṛśettu rajasvalā
Следует всячески избегать непристойного выбрасывания одежд. И женщина во время месячных — даже после омовения — не должна прикасаться к мужчине, кроме собственного мужа. Так ради śauca (чистоты) оберегается дисциплина, поддерживающая поклонение Шиве.
Suta Goswami (narrating prescriptive Śaiva dharma to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
It emphasizes śauca (ritual purity) and restrained conduct as prerequisites for stable, effective Śiva-pūjā—reducing rajas and tamas that disturb mantra, nyāsa, and devotional focus.
Indirectly, it presents Śiva as Pati—the pure Lord—whose worship is approached through purity and self-regulation, helping the pashu (bound soul) loosen pasha (bondage) created by passion and social transgression.
Śauca as a foundational observance: bodily and social purity rules that support Śaiva vrata and pūjā, aligning the practitioner’s conduct with sattva to steady devotion and mantra-practice.