Asoucha (आशौचम्)

This article needs editing. Add and improvise the content from reliable sources.

Asoucha or Asoucham (Samskrit: आशौचम्) broadly refers to a period of isolation and restriction from dharmik activities in certain situations. In Sanatana Dharma texts Asoucha, translated inadequately as Impurity, is used to denote yet another unique concept which involves restrictions on a person (who has the Asoucha) from participating in certain rituals, samskaras, yajnas, even mingling with other family members preventing socialization extending to a long period of time (even a month).

It is a deliberate isolation period wherein the family at the time of death of a member or at the time of birth of a child are not required to attend to the regular grhastha dharmas such as Aupasana, Devata puja, Panchamahayajnas, Svadhyaya etc. Asaucham is not a condition like a disease, which requires isolation to prevent spreading of the disease. It is rather a condition which one imposes upon oneself, as one of the Acharas coming down from ancient times. It is a sensible deliberate process by which we accept the changes in practical and philosophical ways.

Introduction

Asoucham, in general, ensues in three situations that are common in life of a grhastha and his family.

1. after the birth of a child - known as jananasoucham
2. after death of a family member or blood relatives - known as mrtaasoucham
3. during four-day menstruation period for a lady - known as rajasvalaasoucham

It is not to be attributed to microbiological sense, and refers purely to a Ritual Isolation in which one has to conform to a certain place with some restrictions on one's personal activities and socialising for a certain period of time. These periods of Asoucha have a religious as well as a social  and practical significance. During the Mrtaasoucha the family are relieved of their various duties and social obligations so that they have time to bear the grieving process. The situation is strictly controlled with the texts such as Garuda Purana clearly laying down the things to be done or to be avoided. It is also the retrospective time while the departed are still in connection and their near and dear. In the case of Jataasoucha the family are in isolation mainly to take complete care of the new-born and as such the time is required for the stability of the new mother and child.

Definition of Asoucha

According to Shanka smrti as mentioned in Smrtichandrika by Devala

दानं प्रतिग्रहो होमः स्वाध्यायः पितृक्रम च । प्रेतपिण्डक्रियावर्जमाशौचे विनिवर्तयेत्।।

Asoucha in a person's life is of two types पापविशेषात्मकम् । due to malefic activities or papam (such as Brahmahatya, Gohatya) and सपिण्डादिजनने मरणे वा। due to the phenomenon of birth and death of blood related family members and relatives. This is said to be the meaning of the word Asoucham. Asoucham entails restrictions in participating in certain important dharmas and rituals such as

1. Dana (one who gives charity)
2. Pratigraha (one who accepts Dana)
3. Svadhyaya (study of Vedas)
4. Homa (performing yajnas etc)
5. Pitr karmas (such as Shraddha, Darsa-shraddha).

Asoucha however allows the conduct of Pretopakaraka-pindakriyas i.e., those activities such as dana and recitation of vedamantras pertaining to the sutaka period after the death of a person.

Associated Terminology

Sapindas

Sagotras

Sutaka

Jatasoucha

Mrtaasoucha

Shuddhi

Kutastha

Sachela snanam

Asoucha Based on Varnas

Jaata - Asoucha Vidhis

According to Parasara Smriti

जातौ विप्रो दशाहेन द्वादशाहेन भूमिपः । वैश्यः पञ्चदशाहेन शूद्रो मासेन शुध्यति ।। ३.४ ।। (Para. Smrt. 3.4)

On the occasion of a birth, a Brahman recovers purity in ten days; a Kshatriya does so in twelve days; a vaishya at the expiry of fifteen days; and the purification of a Shoodra takes a month.

[Madhava says that this rule applies to the case where a Sapinda has been born ; while the rule of three days applies where a Samanodaka, a more distant relative than a Sapinda, has been born.]

Mrta-Asoucha Vidhis

When Asoucha is due to death of a family member, the removal of Asoucha depends on few conditions such as varna of the person, the time of abortion or death. Based on the Varna of a person the vidhis are as follows

क्षत्रियो द्वादशाहेन वैश्यः पञ्चदशाहकैः । शूद्रः शुध्यति मासेन पराशरवचो यथा ।। ३.२ ।।

According to Parasara's words, a Kshatriya has shuddhi (purity) from asoucha in twelve days (i.e., on 13th day); a Vaisya, when fifteen days have passed (i.e., on the 16th day); a Shudra, after the lapse of a month (i.e., on the 31st day).

Kinds of Mrta-Asoucha

Asoucha vidhis are explained below are based on various factors with varying number of days of Asoucha for each kind of situation. Factors involved in the vidhis are one or a combination of the following

• whether death was of family (maternal or paternal) member or relatives
• if death was in family, the generation to which the person belongs in the family
• based on the ashrama of the person
• whether the person who died has undergone Upanayana samskara
• time of hearing the news of death (number of hours or days elapsed since death)
• place where the death of the family member happened (nearby or far off in distant lands)

Further Asoucha is of many kinds of which a few are mentioned as follows

सद्यश्शौचं तथैकाहस्त्र्यहश्चतुरहस्तथा षड्दशद्वादशाहश्च पक्षो मासस्तथैव च। मरणान्तं तथा चान्यद्दश पक्षास्तु सूतके।

सद्यश्शौचम् ।। Sadya Soucham

Asoucham removed almost instantly in some situations. Example, in case of non-sapinda relatives, on hearing the news of the death of a family member, asoucham is removed on taking a sachela snanam - taking a bath with the clothes at that instant of hearing the news. Another example is when relatives visit a family in the ten-day bereavement, upon returning home their Asoucha is removed with a bath immediately. भृग्वग्निमरणे चैव देशान्तरमृते तथा । बाले प्रेते च संन्यस्ते सद्यः शौचं विधीयते ।। ३.12 ।।

A rshi undertaking penance in forest, due to age or inability to continue the tapas may choose death either by jumping off a cliff (भृगुमरणम्) or entering fire (अग्निमरणम्). In case of भृग्वग्निमरण, death in places far off from non-native country, infant and sanyasi's death, shuddhi happens on taking a bath instantly on hearing the news.

दशरात्रेष्वतीतेषु त्रिरात्राच्छुद्धिरिष्यते । ततः सम्वत्सरादूद्र्ध्वं सचैलं स्नानमाचरेत्।। 3.13

If the news of death arrives anytime after the tenth day has passed (i.e., on the 11th day) up to one year, then asoucha has to be observed for three days. But according to present day acharas, no one is following this rule and are opting for sadhyasoucha only instead of observing the three-day asoucha. If news of death is known after a year of passing then shuddhi is by Sachela snanam.

देशान्तरमृतः कश्चित्सगोत्रः श्रूयते यदि । न त्रिरात्रं अहोरात्रं सद्यः स्नात्वा शुचिर्भवेत् ।। ३.१4 ।।

If information arrives that a person of the same family has died in a country other than his native land, — then the rule of three days or of one day does not obtain ; then the relatives are purified by bathing themselves on that very day.

एकाहाशौचम् ।। Ekaaha Asoucham

Asoucha is for one day. एकाहाच्छुध्यते विप्रो योऽग्निवेदसमन्वितः । (3.5) A Brahman who has studied the Veda, and likewise keeps the sacred household fire, is restored to purity in a single day

त्रिरात्राशौचम् ।। Trayaha Asoucham

Asoucha is for three days.

त्र्यहात्केवलवेदस्तु द्विहीनो दशभिर्दिनैः ।। ३.५ ।।

He who has the knowledge of the Veda alone will recover purity in three days ; while he who is without either the Veda or the fire, will remain impure till ten days are over.

For a person of seventh generation from the kutastha (moola purusha), Asoucha is for three days.

चतुरहाशौचम् ।। Chaturaha Asoucham

Asoucha is for four days.

For the

पञ्चाहाशौचम् Panchaaha Asoucham : Asoucha is for five days.

षड्दिनाशौचम् Shaddina Asoucham : Asoucha is for six days.

दशदिनाशौचम् ।। Dasa dina Asoucham

Asoucha is for ten days.

द्वादशदिनाशौचम् Dvadasaaha Asoucha : Asoucha is for fourteen days.

पक्षाशौचम् : Asoucha is for fifteen days.

मासाशौचम् : Asoucha is for a month's time.

मरणान्ताशौचम् : Asoucha persists until death of the person.

एकाहाच्छुध्यते विप्रो योऽग्निवेदसमन्वितः । त्र्यहात्केवलवेदस्तु द्विहीनो दशभिर्दिनैः ।। ३.5 ।।

A Brahman who has studied the Veda, and likewise keeps the sacred household fire, is restored to purity in a single day ; he who has the knowledge of the Veda alone will recover purity in three days ; while he who is without either the Veda or the fire, will remain impure till ten days are over.

जन्मकर्मपरिभ्रष्टः संध्योपासनवर्जितः । नामधारकविप्रस्तु दशाहं सूतकी भवेत् ।। ३.6 ।।

A Brahman who has never received the purificatory rites prescribed from the day of birth, who neglects to perform the threefold daily prayers(sandhya), who is a Brahman in name alone — must observe ten days of impurity on account of a birth or death.

एकपिण्डास्तु दायादाः पृथग्दारनिकेतनाः । जन्मन्यपि विपत्तौ च तेषां तत्सूतकं भवेत् ।। ३.7 ।।

Even if the Dayadis (one who are sagotras and sapindas) have separate homes and families, they have the same rules of ten days of sutakam.

तावत्तत्सूतकं गोत्रे चतुर्थपुरुषेण तु । दायाद्विच्छेदमाप्नोति पञ्चमो वात्मवंशजः ।। ३.9 ।।

The aforesaid sutaka extends upto four generations (son, father, grandfather and great-grandfather) and the sapinda relationship ends with the fifth generation person of the same family.

चतुर्थे दशरात्रं स्यात्षण्णिशाः पुंसि पञ्चमे । षष्ठे चतुरहाच्छुद्धिः सप्तमे तु दिनत्रयात् ।। ३.10।।

For the fourth generation person, as aforesaid, ten days of sutaka is to be followed. For the fifth generation person (who becomes a non sapinda) he should observe six nights of Asoucha (i.e., 7th day). For the sixth generation person, shuddi will be after four days (i.e., on the 5th day). For the seventh generation person, shuddhi will be after three days (i.e., on the 4th day).

पञ्चभिः पुरुषैर्युक्ता अश्राद्धेया सगोत्रिणः । ततःषट्पुरुषाद्यश्च श्राद्धे

There is no shraddha vidhi, from the fifth generation person onwards even if they are sagotras. A sixth generation person should not partake the prasada of shraddha, even if he is a sagotra.

Infants and Children

अजातदन्ता ये बाला ये च गर्भाद्विनिःसृताः । न तेषां अग्निसंस्कारो नाशौचं नोदकक्रिया ।। ३.१6 ।। (3.16)

For infants from birth till the time the teeth had yet to grow, and for such who are still-born, no cremation (अग्निसंस्कार) is ordained, neither is there any time of Asoucha, nor is given tarpana of water (उदकक्रिया). This vidhi applies to the relatives and not the mother.

Abortion

यदि गर्भो विपद्येत स्रवते वापि योषिताम् । यावन्मासं स्थितो गर्भो दिनं तावत्तु सूतकम् ।। ३.१7 ।। (3.17)

If the child should perish, while yet in the womb, or should be miscarried, — then the woman has an impurity of as many days, as would be equal to the number of months the child had been in the womb.

आचतुर्थाद्भवेत्स्रावः पातः पञ्चमषष्ठयोः । अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रसूतिः स्याद्दशाहं सूतकं भवेत् ।। ३.१8 ।।

An abortion taking place before four months are past, is to be called only an ' 'oozing' of the womb (miscarriage); it is named a 'fall' (or abortion) when happening in the fifth or in the sixth month; thereafter it is called a प्रसूतिः parturition. And then for the period of ten days should the Asoucha last.

प्रसूतिकाले संप्रप्ते प्रसवे यदि योषिताम् । जीवापत्ये तु गोत्रस्य मृते मातुश्च सूतके।। (3.19)

When the woman approaches Prasuti (7th month onwards) if the new-born is alive then Asoucha (Jaata Asoucha for ten days) is for all the family members having the same surname (sagotras and sapindas) whereas if the baby is still-born then only the mother has the Asoucha for ten days.

दन्तजातेऽनुजाते च कृतचूडे च संस्थिते । अग्निसंस्करणं तेषां त्रिरात्रं सूतकं भवेत् ।। (3.21)

If an infant has died after teething, or if he has died before the growth of his teeth, but after the performance of tonsure upon him, — then for him cremation is prescribed, and his relatives are Asoucha for full three nights.