Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

आचांतः पुनराचामेत्कृते रथ्योपसर्पणे । स्नात्वा भुक्त्वा पयः पीत्वा प्रारंभे शुभकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

ācāṃtaḥ punarācāmetkṛte rathyopasarpaṇe | snātvā bhuktvā payaḥ pītvā prāraṃbhe śubhakarmaṇām

Translation

Hat man das Ācamana einmal vollzogen, so vollziehe man es erneut, nachdem man sich der öffentlichen Straße genähert hat. Ebenso nach dem Bad, nach dem Essen, nach dem Trinken von Milch und zu Beginn glückverheißender Handlungen.

Word by Word

• आचान्तः: having performed ācamana
• आचान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘आचमितवान्/आचमितः’ (having sipped/purified by sipping)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• आचामेत्: should sip (perform ācamana)
• आचामेत्: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘कृते सति’ (when done)

• रथ्योपसर्पणे: upon approaching the street
• रथ्योपसर्पणे: Adhikaraṇa (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या + उपसर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रथ्यायाः उपसर्पणम् = approaching the street/road); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), क्रियाविशेषणभावेन

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), क्रियाविशेषणभावेन

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), क्रियाविशेषणभावेन

• प्रारम्भे: at the beginning
• प्रारम्भे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रारम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुभकर्मणाम्: of auspicious rites
• शुभकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (शुभं कर्म = auspicious act); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim pauses at the edge of a busy Kāśī lane, then again at a ghāṭa after bathing, sipping water in ācāmana before proceeding to a temple for an auspicious rite.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied context)
• Śubhakarman (auspicious rites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious acts bear their fullest fruit when begun with conscious purification and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is taught within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred-life framework, where purity supports merit in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Repeat ācamana after going near the street, after bathing, after eating, after drinking milk, and before starting auspicious ceremonies.