Vamana Purana — Rules of Purity (Shauca), Shloka 10

Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller

Devanagari script

शुश्रूषन् निरभीमानो ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमं वसेत् एवं जयति मृत्युं स द्विजः शालकटङ्कट

Transliteration

śuśrūṣan nirabhīmāno brahmacaryāśramaṃ vaset evaṃ jayati mṛtyuṃ sa dvijaḥ śālakaṭaṅkaṭa

Translation

خدمت گزاری کرتے ہوئے، خوف اور غرور سے پاک ہو کر، برہماچریہ آشرم میں رہے۔ اسی طرح وہ دِوِج موت پر فتح پاتا ہے—اے شالکٹنکٹ۔

Word by Word

• शुश्रूषन्: serving/attending (to the teacher)
• शुश्रूषन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुश्रूष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय/Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निरभीमानः: fearless/unafraid
• निरभीमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + भी (धातु) → अभिमान/भीम?; 'अभीमान' (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of द्विजः)

• ब्रह्मचर्य-आश्रमम्: the brahmacarya stage (student-ashrama)
• ब्रह्मचर्य-आश्रमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: 'ब्रह्मचर्यस्य आश्रमः'); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वसेत्: should dwell/live
• वसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• जयति: conquers
• जयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजः: the twice-born
• द्विजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शालकटङ्कट: O Śālakaṭaṅkaṭa (name)
• शालकटङ्कट: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालकटङ्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; संबोधन/नाम (proper name; vocative sense possible by context)

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (likely within the Purāṇic dialogue frame
• often Pulastya instructing Nārada)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Ashrama System
• Brahmacarya
• Self-discipline

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse elevates humility and disciplined service as the essence of brahmacarya. ‘Conquering death’ indicates mastery over death-causes—ignorance, uncontrolled senses, and adharma—through sustained training under guidance.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is primarily Dharma-śikṣā embedded in Purāṇic narration; it aligns most closely with ancillary didactic material rather than the five core marks. If forced into a pañcalakṣaṇa bucket, it supports ‘Vamśānucarita’/conduct norms for twice-born lineages, but it is not a direct sarga/pratisarga account.

What is the symbolic significance?

Brahmacarya symbolizes the ‘seed-stage’ of spiritual life: restraint, receptivity, and ego-reduction (nir-abhimāna). Service (śuśrūṣā) becomes a practical method for dissolving self-centeredness, portrayed as a victory over mortality.