Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68
कंठगाभिर्नृपः शुद्ध्येत्तालुगाभिस्तथोरुजः । स्त्रीशूद्रावास्य संस्पर्शमात्रेणापि विशुद्ध्यतः
kaṃṭhagābhirnṛpaḥ śuddhyettālugābhistathorujaḥ | strīśūdrāvāsya saṃsparśamātreṇāpi viśuddhyataḥ
Le roi se purifie avec de l’eau portée jusqu’à la gorge ; celui qui souffre de la cuisse/de l’aine se purifie avec de l’eau atteignant le palais. La femme et le śūdra sont purifiés même par le simple contact avec la bouche (forme minimale de l’ācamana).
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (ghāṭa context)
Type: ghat
Scene: A pilgrim-teacher on a Gaṅgā ghāṭa instructs different devotees—king, infirm person, woman, and śūdra—on graded ācamana, with water vessels and the river in the background.
FAQs
Purificatory rites are graded by capacity and circumstance, aiming at accessibility while preserving ritual order.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse gives general ācamana standards within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.
Different degrees of ācamana: throat-level for a king, palate-level for certain ailments, and minimal mouth-touch for women and śūdras.