चरुकर्मThe rite of the caru
Verse 74
अक्षतामव्रणां दृष्ट्वा प्रादेशपरिमाणकम् । पवित्रकुशमेकञ्च स्थालीमध्ये नियोजयेत् ॥ ७४ ॥
akṣatāmavraṇāṁ dṛṣṭvā prādēśaparimāṇakam | pavitrakuśamēkañca sthālīmadhyē niyōjayēt || 74 ||
Translation
Seeing that it is unbroken and has no crack, he should set a single purifying blade of kuśa, a span long, in the middle of the pot.
Word by word
- akṣatām
- (akṣatām) unbroken
- avraṇāṁ
- without a crack
- dṛṣṭvā
- having seen
- prādēśa
- of a span
- parimāṇakam
- (parimāṇakam) in length
- pavitra
- purifying
- kuśam
- (kuśam) blade of kuśa
- ēkaṁ
- one
- ca
- and
- sthālī
- of the pot
- madhyē
- in the middle
- niyōjayēt
- he should set
Meaning
The pot is examined for cracks or holes. A pavitra, a blade of kuśa that purifies, as long as a prādeśa (the span between thumb and forefinger outstretched), is laid in it. Tradition tells that kuśa is pure because Garuḍa once set the nectar of immortality down on it.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
"Akṣatām". Then, having seen that the caru pot is akṣata, unbroken, and avraṇa, without a hole, he should set (niyojayet, sthāpayet) a single pavitra-kuśa a span in length in the middle of the pot.