Shloka 24

स्नानविधिः — गायत्र्यावाहन, सूर्यवन्दन, तर्पण, पञ्चमहायज्ञ, भस्मस्नान, मन्त्रस्नान

Devanagari script

पुण्यमाचमनं कुर्याद् ब्रह्मयज्ञार्थमेव तत् प्रीत्यर्थं च ऋचां विप्राः त्रिः पीत्वा प्लाव्य प्लाव्य च

Transliteration

puṇyamācamanaṃ kuryād brahmayajñārthameva tat prītyarthaṃ ca ṛcāṃ viprāḥ triḥ pītvā plāvya plāvya ca

Translation

Allein zum Zwecke des Brahma‑yajña soll man das reinigende Ācamana vollziehen. Und, o Brahmanen, um die ṛc‑Verse des Veda zu erfreuen, soll man dreimal Wasser schlürfen und dabei jedes Mal den Mund wieder und wieder spülen.

Word by Word

• puṇyam: meritorious, purifying

• ācamanaṃ: ritual sipping of water (ācāmana)

• kuryāt: should do/perform

• brahmayajña-artham: for the purpose of Brahma-yajña (study/recitation of Veda as a sacrifice)

• eva: indeed/alone

• tat: that (act)

• prīti-artham: for satisfaction/pleasure

• ca: and

• ṛcām: of the Ṛk-verses (Vedic hymns)

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas/learned ones

• triḥ: thrice

• pītvā: having sipped/drunk

• plāvya plāvya: rinsing repeatedly (washing the mouth)

• ca: and.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Purāṇic injunctions to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Vedic Ṛc (Rigvedic hymns)
• Brahma-yajña

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It establishes ācamana as a mandatory act of ritual purity before Brahma-yajña and, by extension, before Shiva-pūjā to the Liṅga—purifying the devotee (paśu) so worship is offered in a fit state to Pati (Śiva).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Indirectly, it points to Śiva as the Pati who is approached through śuddhi (purification) and Vedic sanctity—suggesting that disciplined purity and reverence for mantra/ṛc align the paśu toward Shiva-tattva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Ācamana performed three times with repeated rinsing—an external śauca practice that supports Vedic recitation (Brahma-yajña) and steadies the practitioner for Shaiva worship and Pāśupata-oriented discipline.