Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अंगुल्यग्रैस्तथा स्कन्धौ सांबु सर्व्वत्र संस्पृशेत् । आचांतः पुनराचामेत्कृत्वा रथ्योपसर्पणम्

Transliteration

aṃgulyagraistathā skandhau sāṃbu sarvvatra saṃspṛśet | ācāṃtaḥ punarācāmetkṛtvā rathyopasarpaṇam

Translation

ພຶງໃຊ້ປາຍນິ້ວແຕະບ່າທັງສອງ ແລະໃຊ້ນ້ຳສຳຜັດຮ່າງກາຍທຸກສ່ວນ। ເມື່ອເຮັດອາຈະມະນະແລ້ວ ເມື່ອເຂົ້າໃກ້ຖະໜົນ/ທາງສາທາລະນະ ພຶງເຮັດອາຈະມະນະອີກຄັ້ງ।

Word by Word

• अङ्गुल्यग्रैः: with the tips of the fingers
• अङ्गुल्यग्रैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक; अङ्गुलि + अग्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• स्कन्धौ: the two shoulders
• स्कन्धौ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• साम्बु: with water
• साम्बु: Kriya-viseshana (manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साम्बु (प्रातिपदिक; सह + अम्बु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (manner: ‘with water’)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु; स्पर्शने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग सम्-

• आचान्तः: having sipped
• आचान्तः: Karta (कर्ता; for next verb)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचान्त (कृदन्त; आ-√चम्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि क्त

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (again)

• आचामेत्: should sip (again)
• आचामेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चम् (धातु; आ-√चम् आचमने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु; करणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• रथ्योपसर्पणम्: approaching the street/roadway (i.e., going out to a public place)
• रथ्योपसर्पणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या + उपसर्पण (प्रातिपदिक; उप-√सृप् गत्याम्, ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म/प्रयोजनार्थक (object/purpose)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim touches shoulders with wet fingertips, then sprinkles/touches water over the body; later, after stepping onto a busy street with vendors and passersby, he pauses to perform ācamana again before returning toward a temple gate.

Characters & Entities

• Ācamana
• Skandha (shoulders)
• Rathyā (public road)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma trains continual awareness: purity is renewed after contact with public spaces and daily movement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised; it concerns routine purity on entering common public areas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Touch shoulders and body with water as part of purification; repeat ācamana after going near/into a public road.