Devanagari
द्रव्यस्य शुद्ध्यशुद्धी च द्रव्येण वचनेन च ।
संस्कारेणाथ कालेन महत्वाल्पतयाथवा ॥ १० ॥
Verse text
dravyasya śuddhy-aśuddhī ca
dravyeṇa vacanena ca
saṁskāreṇātha kālena
mahatvālpatayātha vā
Synonyms
dravyasya
—
of an object
;
śuddhi
—
purity
;
aśuddhī
—
or impurity
;
ca
—
and
;
dravyeṇa
—
by another object
;
vacanena
—
by speech
;
ca
—
and
;
saṁskāreṇa
—
by ritual performance
;
atha
—
or else
;
kālena
—
by time
;
mahatva
—
alpatayā — by greatness or smallness
;
atha vā
—
or else .
Translation
An object’s purity or impurity is established by application of another object, by words, by rituals, by the effects of time or according to relative magnitude.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
An object’s purity or impurity is established by application of another object, by words, by cleaning, by the effects of time or according to size.
“Objects, place and time” were mentioned in verse 7. Now impurity of objects is shown in four verses. Objects like plates are purified by water and made impure by urine or other impure items. Objects are made pure or impure by words. When there is a doubt, if a brāhmaṇa says the object is pure, it is pure. If he says it is impure, it is impure. Objects are purified cleaning, sprinkling with water etc. This is how flowers are purified. They are made impure by smelling them. New rain water becomes purified by waiting ten day’s time. The water is impure if not left for that time. Bodies of water used by outcastes are pure if they are large and impure if they are small.
Purport
Cloth is purified by application of clean water and contaminated by application of urine. The words of a saintly
brāhmaṇa
are pure, but the sound vibration of a materialistic person is contaminated by lust and envy. A saintly devotee explains actual purity to others, whereas a nondevotee makes false propaganda that leads innocent people to commit polluted, sinful activities. Pure rituals are those meant for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, while materialistic ceremonies are those that lead their followers into materialistic and demoniac activities. The word
saṁskāreṇa
also indicates that the purity or impurity of a particular object is ascertained according to the regulations of ritualistic performances. For example, a flower to be offered to the Deity must be purified with water. Flowers or food cannot be offered to the Deity, however, if they have been contaminated by being smelled or tasted before the offering. The word
kālena
indicates that certain substances are purified by time and others contaminated by time. Rainwater, for example, is considered pure after ten days’ time, and after three days in cases of emergency. On the other hand, certain foods decay in time and thus become impure.
Mahatva
indicates that great bodies of water do not become contaminated, and
alpatayā
means that a small amount of water can easily become polluted or stagnant. In the same way, a great soul is not polluted by occasional contact with materialistic persons, whereas one whose devotion to God is very small is easily carried away and put into doubt by bad association. In terms of combination with other substances, and in terms of speech, ritual, time and magnitude, the purity and impurity of all objects can be ascertained.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that impure or decayed food is certainly forbidden for normal persons but is permissible for those who have no other means of subsistence.