चतुर्विधावधूतमाहात्म्यकथनम्The greatness of the four kinds of avadhūta
Verse 177
किराताः पापिनः क्रूराः पुलिन्दा यवनाः खसाः । शुद्धयन्ति येषां संस्पर्शात्तान् विना कोऽन्यमर्चयेत् ॥ १७७ ॥
kirātāḥ pāpinaḥ krūrāḥ pulindā yavanāḥ khasāḥ | śuddhayanti yēṣāṁ saṁsparśāttān vinā kō’nyamarcayēt || 177 ||
Translation
Kirātas, the sinful, the cruel, Pulindas, Yavanas, Khasas are purified by their touch. Who else but they should be worshipped?
Word by word
- kirātāḥ
- Kirātas
- pāpinaḥ
- the sinful
- krūrāḥ
- the cruel
- pulindā
- (pulindāḥ) Pulindas
- yavanāḥ
- Yavanas
- khasāḥ
- Khasas
- śuddhayanti
- (śudhyanti) are purified
- yēṣāṁ
- of whom
- saṁsparśāt
- by the touch
- tān
- them
- vinā
- except
- kō
- (kaḥ) who
- anyam
- (anyam) else
- arcayēt
- (arcayet) should be worshipped
Meaning
The verse names peoples and groups held at a distance in the society of its time, and the words are the text's own. The commentary describes the Pulindas as a class of outcastes and the Khasas as a mixed class, quoting the old list "jhallo mallaś ca rājanyo …". Its point is one of inclusion: nobody stands beyond the reach of this purifying. What the Tantra prescribes here is its own teaching, given as the text presents it; taking up any practice is a matter for one's tradition and teacher.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
Pulindāḥ: a particular class of outcastes (cāṇḍāla). Khasāḥ: a particular mixed class. As it is said: "jhallo mallaś ca rājanyo vrātyo licchavir eva ca, naṭaś ca karaṇaś caiva khaso drāviḍa eva ca" (the Jhalla, the Malla, the fallen Rājanya, the Licchavi, the Naṭa, the Karaṇa, the Khasa and the Drāviḍa).