Questions about two verses

Gummuluru Murthy gmurthy at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA
Tue Jul 14 09:42:54 CDT 1998


Namaste. I request learned members for clarification on two verses.

1. In my readings last night, I came across the following verse:

snAnam sandhyA japo homo devatAnAmca pUjanam
Atithyam vaisvadevam ca shhaTkarmANi dine dine

This is in the context of describing the nitya karmAs. SnAnam (showering
or purifying the body with water) is common to all and hence is not one
of the six nitya karmAs. SandhyA, japam, homam, daivapUja, Atithyam and
vaisvadevam are the six nitya karmAs. Now,

(a) What is precisely vaisvadevam ?

(b) Where is this verse from ?


2. Entirely unrelated to the above, but question about a different verse.

In early India (may not be in ancient times), some procedures were
prescribed to indicate to the world that a person is detached. These are
meant mostly for widows, but have also become accepted as symbol of
detachment for sanyAsis as well. There are five such symbols described
in a nice sanskrit verse. I cannot recall the verse now, but I can recall
four of these symbols. I wonder if any person on the List knows the fifth
one and also the verse and the source of this verse.

The four symbols I can recall are

1. ShiromuNDanam  [shaving of the head]
2. Ekabhuktam     [meal once a day]
3. Kounchuka visarjanam [not wearing the upper garment]
4. Bhuushayanam   [sleep on the floor]
5. ???


Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
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