Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अंगुष्ठमूलदेशेन ह्यधरोष्ठौ परि मृजेत् । स्पृष्ट्वा जलेन हृदयं समस्ताभिः शिरः स्पृशेत्

Transliteration

aṃguṣṭhamūladeśena hyadharoṣṭhau pari mṛjet | spṛṣṭvā jalena hṛdayaṃ samastābhiḥ śiraḥ spṛśet

Translation

Mit dem Bereich an der Daumenwurzel soll man die Unterlippe abwischen. Nachdem man mit Wasser das Herz berührt hat, berühre man dann mit allen (Fingern/Händen) zusammen den Kopf.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठमूलदेशेन: with the region at the base of the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठमूलदेशेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठमूलदेश (प्रातिपदिक; अङ्गुष्ठ + मूल + देश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• अधरोष्ठौ: the lower lip (both sides)
• अधरोष्ठौ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर + ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• परि: around/fully
• परि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण (preverb/adverb)

• मृजेत्: should wipe/cleanse
• मृजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृज् (धातु; मार्जने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु; स्पर्शने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• जलेन: with water
• जलेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृदयम्: the heart/chest
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समस्ताभिः: with all (fingers) together
• समस्ताभिः: Karana (instrumental accompaniment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘अङ्गुलिभिः’ implied)

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्पृशेत्: should touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु; स्पर्शने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahma-tīrtha (hand-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of hands: thumb-base wiping lower lip; then wet fingertips touch the heart center; then both hands together touch the crown of the head—sequence shown like a ritual storyboard.

Characters & Entities

• Ācamana
• Brahma-tīrtha area (thumb-base)
• Hṛdaya
• Śiras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is embodied mindfulness: dharma is practiced through precise, reverent gestures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it describes bodily ritual actions rather than a geographic tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wipe the lower lip with the thumb-base area; touch heart with water; then touch the head with all together.