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Shloka 17

Ācamana-vidhi, Śauca, and Conduct Rules for Study, Eating, and Bodily Functions

कनिष्ठामूलतः पश्चात् प्राजापत्यं प्रचक्षते / अङ्गुल्यग्रे स्मृतं दैवं तदेवार्षं प्रकीर्तितम्

kaniṣṭhāmūlataḥ paścāt prājāpatyaṃ pracakṣate / aṅgulyagre smṛtaṃ daivaṃ tadevārṣaṃ prakīrtitam

小指の付け根から後方にかけての量は「プラジャーパティヤ」と説かれる。指先では「ダイヴァ」と記憶され、同じその量がまた「アールシャ」(聖仙の規範)とも称えられる。

कनिष्ठामूलतःfrom the base of the little finger
कनिष्ठामूलतः:
अधिकरण/देश (Location/Region)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकनिष्ठा-मूल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formअव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘-तः’; तत्पुरुष-समास (कनिष्ठायाः मूलम्)
पश्चात्behind/afterwards
पश्चात्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपश्चात् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb of place/time)
प्राजापत्यम्the prājāpatya [tīrtha]
प्राजापत्यम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootप्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; नाम (tīrtha-name)
प्रचक्षतेthey declare/call
प्रचक्षते:
क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootचक्ष् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-समर्थार्थे ‘they declare’
अङ्गुल्यग्रेat the tip of the finger
अङ्गुल्यग्रे:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्गुलि-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अङ्गुलेः अग्रे)
स्मृतम्is remembered/considered
स्मृतम्:
क्रिया-विशेष (Predicative participle)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicate ‘is remembered/considered’
दैवम्the daiva [tīrtha]
दैवम्:
कर्ता/प्रातिपदिकार्थ (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootदैव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (tīrtha-name)
तत्that
तत्:
सम्बन्ध/निर्देश (Deictic)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
एवindeed/just
एव:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)
आर्षम्the ārṣa [tīrtha]
आर्षम्:
कर्ता/प्रातिपदिकार्थ (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootआर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (tīrtha-name)
प्रकीर्तितम्is proclaimed
प्रकीर्तितम्:
क्रिया-विशेष (Predicative participle)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-कीर्त् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate ‘is proclaimed’

Narrator/Teacher voice within the Purva-bhaga’s dharma-vidhi exposition (instructional discourse attributed to the Kurma Purana’s teaching tradition).

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

P
Prajapati
D
Devas
R
Rishis

FAQs

Directly, it does not define Ātman; instead it preserves dharma-vidhi by standardizing measures used in sacred action, which the Purana treats as supportive discipline (niyama) for inner purification leading toward higher knowledge.

No seated meditation is described; the verse highlights ritual precision (a form of disciplined practice) by defining traditional standards of measurement (Prajāpatya/Daiva/Ārṣa), aligning outer conduct with ordered dharma—often presented as preparatory to deeper yogic and devotional practice in the text.

It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; its contribution to the Purana’s synthesis is indirect—by grounding shared Vedic-dharmic procedure that both Shaiva and Vaishnava streams accept as a common framework for worship and spiritual discipline.