Shloka 6

Kārttika-vrata Discipline: Purity Rules, Morning Bath Saṅkalpa, Tilaka Injunctions, and Food Prohibitions

Devanagari script

अद्भिर्मृदापि शुद्ध्यर्थं पूर्वं विंशतिसंख्यया । एका लिंगे गुदे पंच तथा वामकरे दश

Transliteration

adbhirmṛdāpi śuddhyarthaṃ pūrvaṃ viṃśatisaṃkhyayā | ekā liṃge gude paṃca tathā vāmakare daśa

Translation

Ради очищения следует сперва омыться водой и также землёй (глиной) числом двадцать раз: один раз на детородный орган, пять — на анус и десять — на левую руку.

Word by Word

• अद्भिः: with water
• अद्भिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मृदा: with clay
• मृदा: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (particle: also/even)

• शुद्धि-अर्थम्: for purification
• शुद्धि-अर्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose; prayojana-artha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (शुद्ध्यर्थम् = for the sake of purification)

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: काल (temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘first/before’

• विंशति-संख्यया: by the count of twenty
• विंशति-संख्यया: करण (Karaṇa/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विंशतेः संख्या = count of twenty)

• एका: one
• एका: संख्या/विशेषण (quantifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अर्थतः) ‘one (washing)’—ellipsis with kriyā

• लिङ्गे: on the genital organ
• लिङ्गे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• गुदे: on the anus
• गुदे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: संख्या/विशेषण (quantifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द (indeclinable-like numeral), ‘five’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘thus/likewise’

• वाम-करे: on the left hand
• वाम-करे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वामः करः = left hand)

• दश: ten
• दश: संख्या/विशेषण (quantifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द (indeclinable-like numeral), ‘ten’

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial/disciplinary instruction within the chapter)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: अद्भिर्मृदापि → अद्भिः + मृदा + अपि; शुद्ध्यर्थं → शुद्धि + अर्थम्; विंशतिसंख्यया → विंशति + संख्यया; वामकरे → वाम + करे.

FAQs

What practice is this verse describing in the Padma Purana?

It describes śauca (ritual cleansing) using water and earth/clay, specifying the traditional counts for cleaning particular body parts.

Why does the verse mention numbers like twenty, five, and ten?

These numbers function as prescriptive measures (counts of applications/rubbings) used in traditional purity codes to ensure thorough cleansing.

Is this verse about philosophy or about daily religious conduct?

Primarily about daily religious conduct (ācāra) and ritual purity (śauca), which is treated as a supportive discipline within dharma-oriented sections of the Purāṇas.