Shloka 111

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

सर्वशौचेषु ब्राह्ेण तीर्थेन समुपस्पृशेत्‌ । निष्ठीव्य तु तथा क्षुत्त्वा स्पृश्यापो हि शुचिर्भवेत्‌

Transliteration

sarvaśauceṣu brāhmeṇa tīrthena samupaspṛśet | niṣṭhīvya tu tathā kṣuttvā spṛśyāpo hi śucir bhavet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “In every circumstance that calls for purification, one should perform ācamana by touching (sipping) water at the ‘Brāhma-tīrtha’, the prescribed manner for a brāhmaṇa. Likewise, after spitting or sneezing, by touching water—performing ācamana—one becomes clean again.”

Word by Word

सर्वशौचेषुin all purifications/cleansings

ब्राह्मेणwith the Brahma-related (i.e., prescribed) [means]

तीर्थेनwith water (as a purifying medium)/with a tīrtha

समुपस्पृशेत्should touch/should perform sipping (ācamana)

निष्ठीव्यhaving spat

तुbut/and

तथाlikewise/so

क्षुत्त्वाhaving sneezed

स्पृश्यhaving touched (water)

आपःwaters

हिindeed/for

शुचिःpure/clean

भवेत्would become/should be

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

āpaḥ (water)

Brāhma tīrtha (ritual method/point for ācamana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches practical śauca (purity) discipline: ritual cleanliness is restored through the prescribed act of ācamana—touching/sipping water in the proper manner—especially after minor impurities like spitting or sneezing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhīṣma’s extended instruction on dharma and right conduct in the Anuśāsana Parva, he gives specific rules of daily purity, explaining how a person (especially a brāhmaṇa, by the ‘Brāhma’ method) should re-establish cleanliness in common situations.