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Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 8.71

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Published
8
Verses
1201
Minutes
600
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 8 · Verse 71

अन्तर्बाह्यशौचाशौचनिरूपणम्Inner and outer purity and impurity

Verse 71

अद्भिर्वा भस्मना वाऽपि मलानामपकर्षणम् । देहशुद्धिर्भवेद्येन बहिःशौचं तदुच्यते ॥ ७१ ॥

adbhirvā bhasmanā vā’pi malānāmapakarṣaṇam | dēhaśuddhirbhavēdyēna bahiḥśaucaṁ taducyatē || 71 ||

Translation

The removing of impurities by water or by ash, by which the body is cleansed: that is called outer purity.

Word by word

adbhir
(adbhiḥ) by water
vā
or
bhasmanā
by ash
api
also
malānām
(malānām) of impurities
apakarṣaṇam
the removing
dēha
of the body
śuddhir
(śuddhiḥ) the cleansing
bhavēd
(bhavet) comes about
yēna
by which
bahiḥ
outer
śaucaṁ
purity
tad
(tat) that
ucyatē
is called

Meaning

Outer purity (bāhya-śauca) is simply the cleansing of the body. The commentary lists the means: water, ash, or things such as earth, bark, hide or grass, anything by which dirt is "drawn away" (apakarṣaṇa). Ash (bhasma) is used for cleansing in Indian practice, and for Śaivas it is also sacred.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

"Adbhiḥ…". By water (adbhiḥ, jala) or by ash, or by a thing such as earth, bark, hide or grass, by which the body is purified: that removal (apakarṣaṇa), clearing away, of impurities is called outer purity: this is the construction.