Ācamana-vidhi, Śauca, and Conduct Rules for Study, Eating, and Bodily Functions
प्रचरंश्चान्नपानेषु द्रव्यहस्तो भवेन्नरः / भूमौ निक्षिप्य तद् द्रव्यमाचम्याभ्युक्षयेत् तु तत्
pracaraṃścānnapāneṣu dravyahasto bhavennaraḥ / bhūmau nikṣipya tad dravyamācamyābhyukṣayet tu tat
If, while moving about in matters of food and drink, a man’s hand becomes soiled by contact with impure matter, he should set that substance upon the ground, perform ācamana (ritual sipping of water for purification), and then sprinkle purifying water upon that substance.
Traditional narration (dharma-instruction within the Kurma Purana’s discourse)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Indirectly: it emphasizes śauca (purity) and disciplined conduct, which in Kurma Purana-style dharma functions as a preparatory refinement of body and mind for higher knowledge of the Self.
Ācamana and sprinkling (prokṣaṇa/abhyukṣaṇa) are purificatory acts that support inner steadiness (sattva-śuddhi). In the Kurma Purana’s broader yogic frame, such śauca disciplines are foundational supports for mantra, worship, and meditative practice.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it contributes to the shared dharma framework honored across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava synthesis in the Purana, where purity and right conduct underpin worship of Īśvara in either form.