14.5 Purifications after Menses
On the first day, the impurity will be intense and she is compared to a Chandala,
on the second day, she will have the pollution of injuring a holy Brahmin, on the
third day she will be compared to a washer-woman and on the 4th day she will be
compared to a Sudra woman. Sristam Guna Karma Vibhagasa. Meaning, I have
created four castes - Brahma, Kshatriya, Vysya and Sudra, according to their gunas
- Satwika, Rajasa and Tamasa and Karma - the work they do. The above
injunction in the menses refers to the girls of the highest castes. But among the
lower orders, 3 days are observed and they hardly do any domestic work or touch
any sacred objects. After she bathes on the 4th day, she will not be permitted to
touch any holy objects nor can she prepare and serve meals. But she can and must
have sexual union with her husband if the flow has ceased. On 5th day, she should
take a clean bath and can attend to all domestic work and also touch the holy
objects. If she gets menses again within 18 days of the first appearances of menses,
she has simply to take a bath and get into the house as usual. If she gets menses on
the 19th day; she must remain one day in pollution. After 20 days she will and must
be in pollution for 3 days as usual
