Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

जलपूर्णं समाधाय जलपात्रं समीपगम् । निजाचमनयोग्यं च जलपानार्थमेव च

Transliteration

jalapūrṇaṃ samādhāya jalapātraṃ samīpagam | nijācamanayogyaṃ ca jalapānārthameva ca

Translation

Il plaça tout près un récipient rempli d’eau, convenant à son ācamanam (geste rituel de rinçage et de gorgée), et destiné uniquement à boire de l’eau.

Word by Word

• जलपूर्णं: filled with water
• जलपूर्णं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—जलेन पूर्णम्/जलपूर्णम् (कर्मधारय)

• समाधाय: having placed
• समाधाय: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: समाधाय (सम्+आ+√धा (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having placed/kept)

• जलपात्रं: a water-vessel
• जलपात्रं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + पात्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—जलस्य पात्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• समीपगम्: kept near/nearby
• समीपगम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप + ग (√गम् (धातु) + अण्/ग-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—समीपं गच्छति/समीपगम् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष); जलपात्रम् इति विशेषणम्

• निजाचमनयोग्यं: fit for his own sipping (ācamanam)
• निजाचमनयोग्यं: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज + आचमन + योग्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—(निजं) आचमनं यत् योग्यं (उपपद/तत्पुरुष); जलपात्रम्/जलम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• जलपानार्थम्: for drinking water
• जलपानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलपान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—जलपानस्य अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-like purāṇic narrator in Māhātmya narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Near a bed in a dim room, a clean water pot and sipping vessel are carefully placed, suggesting the protagonist’s residual discipline amid moral disorder.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ordinary acts like keeping water for ācamanam reflect a life oriented toward purity—yet vigilance is still required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; the chapter’s later verses connect the purification to Śaṃkhatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ācamanam (ritual sipping/rinsing with water) is referenced as a purity practice.