Shloka 17

Ācamana-vidhi, Śauca, and Conduct Rules for Study, Eating, and Bodily Functions

Devanagari script

कनिष्ठामूलतः पश्चात् प्राजापत्यं प्रचक्षते / अङ्गुल्यग्रे स्मृतं दैवं तदेवार्षं प्रकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

kaniṣṭhāmūlataḥ paścāt prājāpatyaṃ pracakṣate / aṅgulyagre smṛtaṃ daivaṃ tadevārṣaṃ prakīrtitam

Translation

ومن أصل الخنصر إلى جهة الخلف يُسمّى المقدار «براجابَتْيَ» (Prajāpatya). وعند طرف الإصبع يُتذكَّر باسم «دايڤا» (Daiva)، وذلك المقدار بعينه يُعلَن أيضًا «آرْشَ» (Ārṣa)، معيار الحكماء الرِّشي.

Word by Word

• कनिष्ठामूलतः: from the base of the little finger
• कनिष्ठामूलतः: अधिकरण/देश (Location/Region)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कनिष्ठा-मूल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘-तः’; तत्पुरुष-समास (कनिष्ठायाः मूलम्)

• पश्चात्: behind/afterwards
• पश्चात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb of place/time)

• प्राजापत्यम्: the prājāpatya [tīrtha]
• प्राजापत्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; नाम (tīrtha-name)

• प्रचक्षते: they declare/call
• प्रचक्षते: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-समर्थार्थे ‘they declare’

• अङ्गुल्यग्रे: at the tip of the finger
• अङ्गुल्यग्रे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अङ्गुलेः अग्रे)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतम्: क्रिया-विशेष (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicate ‘is remembered/considered’

• दैवम्: the daiva [tīrtha]
• दैवम्: कर्ता/प्रातिपदिकार्थ (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (tīrtha-name)

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध/निर्देश (Deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• आर्षम्: the ārṣa [tīrtha]
• आर्षम्: कर्ता/प्रातिपदिकार्थ (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (tīrtha-name)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: क्रिया-विशेष (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate ‘is proclaimed’

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher voice within the Purva-bhaga’s dharma-vidhi exposition (instructional discourse attributed to the Kurma Purana’s teaching tradition).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati
• Devas
• Rishis

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Directly, it does not define Ātman; instead it preserves dharma-vidhi by standardizing measures used in sacred action, which the Purana treats as supportive discipline (niyama) for inner purification leading toward higher knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No seated meditation is described; the verse highlights ritual precision (a form of disciplined practice) by defining traditional standards of measurement (Prajāpatya/Daiva/Ārṣa), aligning outer conduct with ordered dharma—often presented as preparatory to deeper yogic and devotional practice in the text.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; its contribution to the Purana’s synthesis is indirect—by grounding shared Vedic-dharmic procedure that both Shaiva and Vaishnava streams accept as a common framework for worship and spiritual discipline.