Shloka 40

Adhyaya 35 — Madālasa’s Instruction on Purity, Impurity, and Corrective Rites (Śauca and Aśauca)

Sanskrit

दशाहं ब्राह्मणस्तिष्ठेद्दानहोमादिवर्जितः ।

क्षत्रियो द्वादशाहञ्च वैश्यो मासार्धमेव च ॥

Transliteration

daśāhaṃ brāhmaṇas tiṣṭhed dāna-homādi-varjitaḥ | kṣatriyo dvādaśāhañ ca vaiśyo māsārdham eva ca ||

Translation

Bà-la-môn nên giữ thời kỳ aśauca (ô uế tang) trong mười ngày, kiêng bố thí, tế tự lửa và các việc tương tự. Sát-đế-lỵ (giữ) mười hai ngày, còn Phệ-xá trong nửa tháng.

Word by Word

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्याविशेषण), indeclinable-like usage in compound; used with अहन् to form duration

• aham: days (as a period)
• aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used adverbially as duration (कालावधि)

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tiṣṭhet: should remain/abstain (stay)
• tiṣṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धाातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; injunction

• dāna-homa-ādi-varjitaḥ: devoid of gifts, fire-offerings, etc.
• dāna-homa-ādi-varjitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + homa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त, √vṛj/varj ‘to avoid’)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; compound: dāna-homa-ādi (dvandva-like list) as qualifier to varjita; agrees with ब्राह्मणः

• kṣatriyaḥ: a Kshatriya
• kṣatriyaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्याविशेषण), used with अहन् to form duration

• aham: days (as a period)
• aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; duration (कालावधि)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• vaiśyaḥ: a Vaishya
• vaiśyaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• māsa-ardham: half a month
• māsa-ardham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘half of a month’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) used as duration

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of emphasis (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

Speakers

• Dharma-instruction within the Markandeya Purana’s didactic discourse (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Gṛhastha duties
• Śauca/Aśauca
• Antyeṣṭi (funerary) norms

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual discipline after death channels grief into regulated conduct: by temporarily pausing auspicious rites (dāna, homa), the household acknowledges liminality and restores order through dharma.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage is primarily Ācāra/Dharma-śāstra material (not one of the five pancalakṣaṇa headings directly), loosely supporting ‘vaṃśānucarita’ by regulating family rites, but functionally it is prescriptive dharma.

What is the esoteric significance?

Aśauca marks a transitional ‘in-between’ state: restraint from sacrificial/meritorious acts symbolizes withdrawal of outward ritual power until the subtle disorder caused by death is ritually resolved.