Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

वर्जयेत्सर्वयत्नेन वासो ऽन्यैर् विधृतं द्विजाः कौशेयाविकयो रूक्षैः क्षौमाणां गौरसर्षपैः

Transliteration

varjayetsarvayatnena vāso 'nyair vidhṛtaṃ dvijāḥ kauśeyāvikayo rūkṣaiḥ kṣaumāṇāṃ gaurasarṣapaiḥ

Translation

द्विजाः, अन्यैर्विधृतं वासः सर्वयत्नेन वर्जयेत्। कौशेयाविकयो रूक्षैः, क्षौमाणां च गौरसर्षपैः (लेपितैः) परिहरेत्॥

Word by Word

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid

• सर्वयत्नेन: with every effort/carefully

• वासः: garment/cloth

• अन्यैः: by others

• विधृतम्: worn/used

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya)

• कौशेय: silk

• आविक: wool

• रूक्षैः: rough/coarse

• क्षौमाणाम्: of linen/flax garments

• गौर: pale/whitish

• सर्षपैः: with mustard seeds (or mustard paste)

Speaker

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

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes śauca (ritual purity) as a prerequisite for Linga-pūjā: the worshipper should avoid second-hand or ritually tainted clothing and coarse, impurity-associated fabrics so the offering to Pati (Śiva) is made with disciplined cleanliness.

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

By demanding careful purity, it implies Śiva as Pati—the supremely pure consciousness—approached through regulated conduct; the pashu (bound soul) loosens pāśa (impurity and negligence) by aligning outer actions with inner reverence.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights pūjā-vidhi and ācāra: maintaining bodily and material cleanliness (especially clothing) as a supportive limb of Pāśupata-oriented discipline that steadies the mind for mantra, abhiṣeka, and worship.