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Shloka 22

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

कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठयोगेन श्रवणे समुपस्पृशेत् / सर्वासामथ योगेन हृदयं तु तलेन वा / संस्पृशेद् वा शिरस्तद्वदङ्गुष्ठेनाथवा द्वयम्

kaniṣṭhāṅguṣṭhayogena śravaṇe samupaspṛśet / sarvāsāmatha yogena hṛdayaṃ tu talena vā / saṃspṛśed vā śirastadvadaṅguṣṭhenāthavā dvayam

Indem man den kleinen Finger mit dem Daumen verbindet, berühre man sanft die Ohren. Dann, alle Finger zu einer Mudrā vereint, berühre man mit der Handfläche das Herz; oder ebenso den Kopf — mit dem Daumen oder mit beiden Händen zugleich.

कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठयोगेनwith the joining of little finger and thumb
कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठयोगेन:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootकनिष्ठा + अङ्गुष्ठ + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कनिष्ठायाः अङ्गुष्ठस्य च योगः); पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘with the joining of little finger and thumb’
श्रवणेon the ears
श्रवणे:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), द्विवचन; ‘in/on the ears’
समुपस्पृशेत्should touch
समुपस्पृशेत्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + उप + स्पृश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
सर्वासाम्of all
सर्वासाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (सर्वा) (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), षष्ठी (Gen. 6), बहुवचन; विशेषण; ‘of all (fingers)’ (elliptic)
अथthen
अथ:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (conjunction/particle); ‘then/next’
योगेनby joining
योगेन:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘by union/combination’
हृदयम्heart
हृदयम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootहृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन
तुand/then
तु:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), अव्यय
तलेनwith the palm
तलेन:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘with the palm’
वाor
वा:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle); ‘or’
संस्पृशेत्should touch
संस्पृशेत्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘should touch’
वाor
वा:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय; ‘or’
शिरःhead
शिरः:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन
तद्वत्likewise
तद्वत्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
Formअव्यय (adverbial), तुल्यवाचक; ‘likewise/in the same way’
अङ्गुष्ठेनwith the thumb
अङ्गुष्ठेन:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘with the thumb’
अथवाor else
अथवा:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ + वा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (conj.), विकल्पार्थक; ‘or else’
द्वयम्the pair/both
द्वयम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन; ‘a pair/both’ (contextual object)

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in yogic/ritual procedure (nyāsa-style aṅga-sparśa)

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

L
Lord Kurma
V
Vishnu
Y
Yoga (nyāsa/aṅga-sparśa)

FAQs

By prescribing disciplined bodily touch-points (ears, heart, head) as part of yoga, the verse implies that realization of the Self is supported by ordered inwardness: the senses are quieted (ears), the inner seat is recollected (heart), and awareness is gathered at the crown (head).

It highlights nyāsa-like aṅga-sparśa: specific hand-finger unions (mudrā-style joining of thumb with little finger, then all fingers together) and mindful touching of ears, heart, and head—used to seal attention, restrain sensory flow, and stabilize mantra-dhyāna in the Kurma Purana’s yoga-vidhi.

Though spoken by Lord Kurma (Vishnu), the technique aligns with Śaiva-Pāśupata ritual-yoga idioms (nyāsa, mudrā, aṅga-sparśa), reflecting the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where Vishnu teaches methods resonant with Shaiva yoga discipline.