Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

इमं मंत्रं ततश्चोक्त्वा कुर्यादाचमनं द्विजः । आचार्याः केचिदिच्छंति शाखाभेदेन चापरे

Transliteration

imaṃ maṃtraṃ tataścoktvā kuryādācamanaṃ dvijaḥ | ācāryāḥ kecidicchaṃti śākhābhedena cāpare

Translation

Nachdem er dieses Mantra gesprochen hat, soll der Zweimalgeborene Ācamana vollziehen, das rituelle Schlürfen von Wasser. Manche Lehrer wünschen es so, andere wiederum unterscheiden es je nach den Zweigen der vedischen Schulen.

Word by Word

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मंत्रम्: mantra
• मंत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Sequence/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (then/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• उक्त्वा: having recited
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having uttered)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आचमनम्: sipping (ritual ācamana)
• आचमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजः: the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आचार्याः: teachers
• आचार्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (some)

• इच्छन्ति: desire/approve
• इच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शाखा-भेदेन: according to branch-differences
• शाखा-भेदेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘शाखायाः भेदः’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश (others)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher instructs a student on ācamana after mantra-recitation; in the background, different groups perform slightly different hand-gestures, symbolizing śākhā-bheda within unity.

Characters & Entities

• Mantra
• Ācamana
• Ācārya
• Śākhā (Vedic school)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is practiced with both fidelity and humility—recognizing legitimate variations across Vedic traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s ritual guidance for life in Kāśī, without naming a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the given mantra and then perform ācamana; follow one’s own śākhā-based tradition as taught by one’s ācārya.