Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 132

Devanagari script

भोजने शयने स्थाने उत्सर्गे मलमूत्रयोः । रथ्याचंक्रमणे चार्द्रपञ्चकश्चाचमेत्सदा

Transliteration

bhojane śayane sthāne utsarge malamūtrayoḥ | rathyācaṃkramaṇe cārdrapañcakaścācametsadā

Translation

After eating, after lying down, upon changing place, after evacuating feces or urine, and after walking in the street, one should always perform ācamana (ritual sipping of water) and the prescribed ‘wet five’ acts of water-based cleansing.

Word by Word

• भोजने: during eating/at a meal
• भोजने: Adhikarana (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• शयने: in bed/while lying down
• शयने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• उत्सर्गे: at the time of excretion/letting go
• उत्सर्गे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• मलमूत्रयोः: of feces and urine
• मलमूत्रयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Genitive dual)

• रथ्याचंक्रमणे: while walking in the street
• रथ्याचंक्रमणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक) + चंक्रमण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-भावः (rathyāyāṃ caṃkramaṇam = walking in the street)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• आर्द्रपञ्चकः: the wet fivefold (rite)
• आर्द्रपञ्चकः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular); कर्मधारयः (ārdraṃ pañcakam = ‘wet fivefold set’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• आचमेत्: should sip (water) / perform ācamana
• आचमेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चम (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg); धातु: चम (आचमन-कर्मणि)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-householder sequence panel: eating, resting, moving to a new seat, using a latrine area, walking through a bazaar street; in each transition he performs ācamana from a small water vessel; a secondary vignette shows washing hands/feet and rinsing as the ‘wet five’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular purification keeps the body and mind fit for dharma and worship; cleanliness is treated as sacred discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a general śauca practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ācamana and the prescribed water-based cleansing acts after key daily activities like eating, sleeping, walking outside, and elimination.