Asoucha (आशौचम्)

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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, danas and even mingling with other family members preventing socialization extending to a long period of time (even a month in some cases).

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, more of a family choice to follow the Acharas which have been handed down to us from ancient times. It is a sensible deliberate process by which we accept the changes in nature by practical and philosophical ways.

परिचयः॥ Introduction

Asoucham also called as Sutaka, in general, ensues in three situations that are common in the life of a grhastha and his family.

1. जाताशौचम् ॥ Jaata-asoucha - Asoucha after the birth of a child
2. मृताशौचम् ॥ Mrta-asoucha - After death of a family member or relatives
3. रजस्वलाशौचम् ॥ Rajasvala-asoucha - During four-day menstruation period for a girl or woman until menopause

Asoucham is not due to disease nor should be attributed to microbiological containment, 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.

आशैचलक्षणम् ॥ 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 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.

पारिभाषिकपदानि ॥ Associated Terminology

कूटस्थः॥ Kutastha: The moola purusha is the Kutastha. The fourth older generation person is the Kutastha. Ex: Consider the persons Great grandfather, Grand father, Father and Person X (Son) in a lineage. For the Person X, his great grandfather is the Kutastha.

सपिण्डः ॥ Sapinda: All the sons and their children belonging to the great grandfather, grandfather and father of the Person X are called Sapindas.

दायादिः ॥ Dayadi: All the members in family who have a share in the income generated in the joint family. This inheritance is defined from the Great-grandfather's properties. Hence all the sapindas are also related family members who have a share in the ancestral property.

सगोत्रीकः ॥ Sagotrika: They include all the members of the family having the same surname. All family members included under all generations of the lineage come under this head, whereas Sapindas end with the fourth generation from Kutastha.

सूतकम्॥ Sutaka: A synonym for Asoucha

शुद्धिः/शौचम्॥ Shuddhi/Soucham: Is the cleansing process which happens with the bath taken after the period of Asoucha.

सचेलस्नानम्॥ Sachela snanam: It is the snana vidhi ordained at certain times and refers to bathing with whatever clothes a person is wearing at an instant of time.

आशैचप्राप्तिः ॥ Asoucha Applies To

प्राप्नोति सूतकं गोत्रे चतुर्थपुरुषेण तु । दायाद्विच्छेदमाप्नोति पञ्चमो वात्मवंशजः ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.9 ॥

The sutaka applies upto four generations (Person X, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and the sons (and their wives) and their children of the first three generations) and the sapinda relationship ends with the fifth generation person of the same family.

A woman after marriage observes the Asoucha of her husband's family and not that of her natural family. From birth upto marriage a female child follows the Asoucha of her parental family and after marriage Asoucha of husband's family applies, though she would still have to follow the Asoucha (reduced in number of days) of her blood relatives.

॥ Asoucha Based on Varnas

जाताशौचविधिः॥ Jaata-Asoucha Vidhi

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.]

मृताशौचविधिः॥ 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).

Death due to Unnatural Reasons

In the Garuda Purana ShriKrishna explains to Garuda the vidhis of Asoucha in case of unnatural deaths such as death due to snake-bite, drowning and being struck by an horned animal, through weapons or in an accident and when no funeral rites are carried out such as cremation.

गरुड उवाच ।

सर्पाद्धि प्राप्तमृत्यूनामग्निदाहादि न क्रिया । जलेन शृङ्गिणा वापि शस्त्राद्यैर्म्रियते यदि ॥ २,१३.९ ॥

असन्मृत्युमृतानां च कथं शुद्धिर्भवत्प्रभो । एतन्मे संशयं देव च्छेत्तुमर्हस्यशेषतः ॥ २,१३.१० ॥

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच ।

षण्मासैर्ब्राह्मणः शुध्येद्युग्मे सार्धे तु बाहुजः । सार्धमासेन वैश्यस्तु शूद्रो मासेन शुध्यति ॥ २,१३.११ ॥ (Garu. Pura. 2.13.9-11)

Krishna replies : If he is a Brahmana, shuddhi is after six months, if a Kshatriya in three months; if a Vaishya - a month and a half and if he is a Shudra shuddhi is after one month.

मृताशौचनिर्णयः॥ Determining Mrta-Asoucha

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

• whether death was of a family (maternal or paternal) member or of a relative
• the generation to which the person belongs to in the lineage
• the ashrama of the person
• whether the person who died has undergone has undergone any samskara especially the Upanayana samskara
• time of hearing the news of death (number of hours or days elapsed since death)
• place where the death of the person happened (nearby or far off in distant lands)
• natural or unnatural death (snake-bite, drowning etc)

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।

Asoucha is ordained to be one of instant removal (सद्यश्शौचम्) one (एकाहाशौचम्), three (त्र्यहः), four (चतुरहः), six (षडहः), ten (दशाहः) twelve days (द्वादशदिन), fifteen days (पक्षाशौचम् , one month (मासाशौचम्) etc and persists even until the death of a person (मरणान्ताशौचम्

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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.12)

A rshi undertaking penance in forest, due to age or inability to continue the tapas (due to health reasons) may choose death either by jumping off a cliff (भृगुमरणम्) or by 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॥ (Para. Smrt. 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 aacharas, this rule is not being followed and people are opting for sadhyasoucha only instead of observing the three-day asoucha. If news of death is heard after a year of passing of the person then shuddhi is by Sachela snanam.

देशान्तरमृतः कश्चित्सगोत्रः श्रूयते यदि । न त्रिरात्रं अहोरात्रं सद्यः स्नात्वा शुचिर्भवेत् ॥ ३.१4 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.14)

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 apply, the relatives are purified by bathing themselves on that very day.

एकाहाशौचम् ॥ Ekaaha Asoucham

Asoucha is for one day. Such a situation is extremely rare in the present society as Brahmanas who are studying Vedas and maintaining the Agni at home are very few in number.

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

त्रिरात्राशौचम् चतुरहाशौचम् षण्णिशाशौचम् च॥ Triratra Asoucham

Asoucha is for three, four and six days respectively in the following cases.

त्र्यहात्केवलवेदस्तु द्विहीनो दशभिर्दिनैः ॥ ३.५ ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.5)

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 with Asoucha till ten days are over.

चतुर्थे दशरात्रं स्यात्षण्णिशाः पुंसि पञ्चमे । षष्ठे चतुरहाच्छुद्धिः सप्तमे तु दिनत्रयात् ॥ ३.10॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.10)

For the fourth generation person, 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).

दशदिनाशौचम् ॥ Dasadina Asoucham

Asoucha for ten days is presently the widely followed system.

एकाहाच्छुध्यते विप्रो योऽग्निवेदसमन्वितः । त्र्यहात्केवलवेदस्तु द्विहीनो दशभिर्दिनैः ॥ ३.5 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.5)

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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.6)

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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.7)

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.

प्राप्नोति सूतकं गोत्रे चतुर्थपुरुषेण तु । दायाद्विच्छेदमाप्नोति पञ्चमो वात्मवंशजः ॥ ३.9 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.9)

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

पञ्चभिः पुरुषैर्युक्ता अश्राद्धेया सगोत्रिणः । ततःषट्पुरुषाद्यश्च श्राद्धेऽभोज्या सगोत्रिणः ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.11)

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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.18)

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॥ (Para. Smrt. 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 ॥ (Para. Smrt. 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.

Exemptions from Asoucha

शिल्पिनः कारुका वैद्या दासीदासाश्च नापिताः । राजानः श्रोत्रियाश्चैव सद्यः शौचाः प्रकीर्तिताः ॥

सव्रतः सत्रपूतश्च आहिताग्निश्च यो द्विजः । राज्ञश्च सूतकं नास्ति यस्य चेच्छति पार्थिवः ॥ (Para. Smrt. 3.27 - 28)

1. Artisans
2. Architects and builders
3. Physicians
4. Servants (male and female)
5. Rulers (Rajas)
6. Vedic scholars and officiating priests.
7. Those who are in process of a religious observance or vratas i.e. brahmacharis.
8. Ahitagnis - those who have been initiated and are engaged in the performance of a yajña lasting more than one day.

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