pollutionform of purification. This implies that pollution is best understood in
relation to forms of purification.
As the anthropologist Mary Douglas demonstrates, pollution involves
dirt of some kind. Dirt is misplaced matter that offends against order,
which is symbolized by purity. Dirt is never a unique, isolated event
because it always presupposes an ordered symbolic system and a system-
atic ordering and classification of matter, whose boundaries are culturally
determined. Moreover, pollution is a type of danger that can result in
disorder, and it can be committed intentionally or inadvertently. In order
to remove the actual or potential danger of pollution, purification is abso-
lutely necessary under certain circumstances.
Pollution, a kind of genetic uncleanness, can be caused by blood, spit-
tle, semen, and decaying flesh. Hebrew scripture mentions, for instance,
skin diseases (Lev. 14), bodily discharges (Lev. 15) and corpses (Num.
19.11–16). Within Greek culture and Hinduism, birth, sex, and death are
also associated with pollution. The Christian tradition views sin as a form
of transgression and defilement, a form of pollution. After being infected
by sin, a person represents a danger to his/herself and others and needs to
remove the pollution, which can be accomplished by atonement in the
form of confession.
Within the context of the Hindu religious tradition, menstruation is a
major form of pollution on the village level of Indian society. During
their menstrual period, women are required to leave the house and live
an ascetic lifestyle for five days. Husbands are forced to assume female
household duties during this time while wives enjoy a kind of vacation
from normal chores. Death is another major source of pollution in
Hinduism, and is considered a type of defilement transmitted by genea-
logical linkage. A general rule is the following: the closer the deceased is
genealogically to the survivors the greater the pollution for them. A third
major form of pollution is birth, which is called happy pollution, a form
that is transmitted through kinship, although it involves a smaller group
of kinsfolk than death pollution. While the mother is polluted for three
months, the husband is polluted for eleven days. Other types of pollution
within Hinduism for upper caste members include bodily emissions, con-
tact with leather, sexual relations, shaving, cutting of hair, and paring of
nails. These are all forms of impurity, and a person also becomes impure
after a solar or lunar eclipse. An unusual type of defilement within
Hinduism is respect pollution, which is an intentional type of pollution.
Intentional pollution is performed to show deference and respect to such
as one’s guru (teacher). By doing what one would not do under normal
circumstances, one expresses one’s inferior position. Examples include
washing a superior’s feet or touching the feet of an exalted person.