97 - Teachings of Yajnavalkya

Yajnavalkya said: 

1. O good Sirs, I shall now expound the process of cleaning articles. Articles such as gold, silver, pearls, Shankha, ropes, leather (?) scats (wooden) and vessels are cleaned with water. 

2-3. The purification of sacrificial ladles is by hot water; that of grains by mere sprinkling; that of wooden and horn articles by paring and that of sacrificial vessel by scrubbing. Woollen or silken stuff is purified by a mixture of fresh cow's urine and hot water. Articles received as alms become pure when the mendicant sees his wife's face. A mud pot becomes pure by keeping it over fire. 

4. If food is defiled by a cow sniffing at it or by hair, flies or worms it can be purified by sprinkling holy ashes over it. The ground is purified by sweeping or scrubbing. 

5. Vessels made of brass, lead and copper are cleaned by arid solution or tamarind water. Iron and bell metel vessels are cleaned by ashes and water. A vessel not known to be impure is pure. 

6. If a vessel is contaminated by faeces it shall be cleaned by clay and water till the bad smell and stickiness are removed. Natural water gladly drunk by cows is pure. 

7. A piece of flesh dropped down by a dog, a chandala or a carnivorous animal is naturally pure. The sun's rays, fire, the shadow of a goat or a cow, the ground all these are naturally pure. 

8-10. The foam and froth of horses and goats are pure, their dung is also pure. After bath or a drink, after sneezing, sleep, taking food, traversing a street, and changing clothes one should perform Achamana twice. After sneezing, spitting, sleeping, shedding tears or changing clothes, if he does not perform Achamana he should touch his right ear. Gods of Fire, etc. stay in the right ear of a brahmin.