Shloka 43

Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence

Devanagari script

अर्धमासो ऽथ षड्रात्रं त्रिरात्रं द्विजपुङ्गवाः / शूद्रक्षत्रियविप्राणां वैश्येष्वाशौचमिष्यते

Transliteration

ardhamāso 'tha ṣaḍrātraṃ trirātraṃ dvijapuṅgavāḥ / śūdrakṣatriyaviprāṇāṃ vaiśyeṣvāśaucamiṣyate

Translation

Hỡi bậc tối thắng trong hàng nhị sinh! Aśauca được dạy như sau: nửa tháng cho Śūdra, sáu đêm cho Kṣatriya, và ba đêm cho Vipra (Bà-la-môn). Còn với Vaiśya, được xem theo phép trung gian.

Word by Word

• ardha-māsaḥ: half a month
• ardha-māsaḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष sense): ardhaḥ māsaḥ; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana (duration as predicate)

• atha: then/next
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; anantara/sequence particle (‘then/next’)

• ṣaḍ-rātram: six nights
• ṣaḍ-rātram: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu-samāsa; Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (duration)

• tri-rātram: three nights
• tri-rātram: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu-samāsa; Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (duration)

• dvija-puṅgavāḥ: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-puṅgavāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + puṅgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: dvijānāṃ puṅgavāḥ; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti, Bahuvacana; vocative-like address in context

• śūdra-kṣatriya-viprāṇām: of the Śūdras, Kṣatriyas, and Brāhmaṇas
• śūdra-kṣatriya-viprāṇām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/For/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक) + vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvandva (itaretara): śūdrāś ca kṣatriyāś ca viprāś ca; Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana

• vaiśyeṣu: among/with respect to Vaiśyas
• vaiśyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Context ‘in case of’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī-vibhakti, Bahuvacana

• āśaucam: impurity (mourning period)
• āśaucam: Pradhāna (प्रधान/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Prathamā, Ekavacana (predicate nominal)

• iṣyate: is considered/accepted
• iṣyate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Dhātu: √iṣ (इष् ‘to desire/consider’); Laṭ (present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; ātmanepada; passive-like sense ‘is held/considered’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic dharma-teaching to the assembled sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• aśauca
• varṇāśrama-dharma
• Śūdra
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames the dharmic discipline of purity (aśauca) that supports steadiness of mind and eligibility for mantra, worship, and yoga—prerequisites often assumed in the Kurma Purana’s higher teachings.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yoga technique is stated; the verse emphasizes varṇāśrama-based observance of aśauca, a preparatory restraint that preserves ritual and mental order, aligning with the Purāṇa’s broader pathway where disciplined conduct undergirds mantra-japa, pūjā, and contemplative practice.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not explicitly discuss Shiva–Vishnu unity; instead it presents shared dharma norms that function as a common foundation for both Śaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava worship as integrated in the Kurma Purana.