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Shloka 13

Dharma, Purity, and the Inner Purpose of the Vedas

Karma-kāṇḍa Reoriented to Bhakti

Devanagari script

अमेध्यलिप्तं यद् येन गन्धलेपं व्यपोहति । भजते प्रकृतिं तस्य तच्छौचं तावदिष्यते ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

amedhya-liptaṁ yad yena gandha-lepaṁ vyapohati bhajate prakṛtiṁ tasya tac chaucaṁ tāvad iṣyate

Translation

Một tác nhân tẩy uế được xem là thích hợp khi việc dùng nó loại bỏ mùi hôi hay lớp bẩn phủ trên vật bị nhiễm uế và khiến vật ấy trở về bản tính tự nhiên ban đầu.

Synonyms
अमेध्यimpure
अमेध्य:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअमेध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद); ‘impure/unclean’
लिप्तम्smeared
लिप्तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootलिप् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: अमेध्य-लिप्त (‘smeared with impurity’)
यत्that which
यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक—‘that which’ (refers to the object smeared)
येनby which
येन:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण—‘by which’
गन्धodor
गन्ध:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)
लेपम्smearing/taint
लेपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootलेप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: गन्ध-लेप (‘smearing/taint of odor’)
व्यपोहतिremoves
व्यपोहति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअपोह् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: वि- + अपोह् — ‘removes’
भजतेreturns to / assumes
भजते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभज् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘attains/assumes/returns to’
प्रकृतिम्its natural state
प्रकृतिम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म
तस्यof that
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध—‘of that (object)’
तत्that
तत्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशक—‘that’ (refers to the definition of purity)
शौचम्purity/cleanliness
शौचम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशौच (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)
तावत्to that extent
तावत्:
Pramana (प्रमाण/अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक — ‘so much/only to that extent’
इष्यतेis accepted (as)
इष्यते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootइष् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); ‘is considered/accepted’
Purport

Furniture, kitchen utensils, clothing and other objects are purified by application of abrasion, alkali, acid, water and so on. One thereby removes the bad fragrance or impure coating of such objects, restoring them to their original clean appearance.

Characters & Entities
K
Krishna
U
Uddhava

FAQs

This verse explains that cleanliness is meaningful only if it truly removes impurity and its effects; if one returns to the same impure condition again, that purity is only temporary and incomplete.

Krishna is teaching Uddhava discernment about genuine purification—showing that merely external or momentary cleansing is not the full standard of śauca if one repeatedly returns to contamination.

Go beyond surface fixes: remove the root cause of harmful habits and environments, and adopt steady practices that prevent returning to the same impurities—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

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