Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पञ्चम्याऽचमनं कार्यं भक्तियुक्तेन चेतसा । भक्तिग्राह्यो हृषीकेशो भक्त्याऽत्मानं प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

pañcamyā'camanaṃ kāryaṃ bhaktiyuktena cetasā | bhaktigrāhyo hṛṣīkeśo bhaktyā'tmānaṃ prayacchati

Translation

Am fünften Tag soll man Ācamana mit einem Geist voll hingebungsvoller Bhakti vollziehen. Hṛṣīkeśa wird allein durch Bhakti erlangt, und durch Bhakti schenkt Er Sein eigenes Selbst.

Word by Word

• पञ्चम्या: with the fifth (time/act)
• पञ्चम्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चमी (संख्यावाचक/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘with the fifth (time/act)’

• आचमनम्: sipping (ācamanam)
• आचमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-√चम् (धातु) → आचमन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; verbal noun (ācamanam)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done’ (gerundive)

• भक्तियुक्तेन: with (a mind) endowed with devotion
• भक्तियुक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (भक्त्या युक्तः)

• चेतसा: with the mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (with mind)

• भक्तिग्राह्यः: attainable by devotion
• भक्तिग्राह्यः: Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राह्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (भक्त्या ग्राह्यः = to be grasped/attained by devotion)

• हृषीकेशः: Hṛṣīkeśa (Lord of the senses)
• हृषीकेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृषीक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हृषीकाणाम् ईशः)

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by devotion)

• आत्मानम्: his self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular (self)

• प्रयच्छति: bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; gives/bestows

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee on pañcamī performs ācamana with folded concentration; behind, a gentle vision of Hṛṣīkeśa (Viṣṇu) as the indwelling Lord of senses, suggesting ‘bhaktyā ātma-pradāna’—the Lord leaning toward the devotee in grace.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is presented as the decisive means by which Viṣṇu is truly approached and realized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it forms part of the general tīrtha-oriented ritual teaching in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ācamana specifically on the pañcamī (fifth lunar day) with a devotional mindset.