Shloka 22
Procedure of Ācamana and Rules of Ritual Purity (Śauca)
तर्जन्यंगुष्ठयोगेन स्पृशेन्नासापुटद्वयम् । कनिष्ठांगुष्ठयोगेन श्रवणे समुस्पृशेत्
tarjanyaṃguṣṭhayogena spṛśennāsāpuṭadvayam | kaniṣṭhāṃguṣṭhayogena śravaṇe samuspṛśet
തർജനിയെ അങ്കുഷ്ഠത്തോടു ചേർത്ത് ഇരുനാസാപുടങ്ങളും സ്പർശിക്കണം; കനിഷ്ഠികയെ അങ്കുഷ്ഠത്തോടു ചേർത്ത് ഇരുകർണങ്ങളും സ്പർശിച്ച് (അഥവാ മൂടി) വയ്ക്കണം.
Unspecified (instructional narration within the Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Purity includes guarding sensory inlets: breath and hearing are ritually aligned through precise touch, symbolizing control of prāṇa and receptivity to mantra.
Application: Before chanting or listening to scripture: take a steady breath, reduce sensory noise, and set an intention to hear only what uplifts; practice brief prāṇāyāma-like centering.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The practitioner’s hands form two distinct mudrās: index finger joined to thumb touching both nostrils, then little finger joined to thumb touching the ears, as if sealing the senses. The composition suggests a moment of inward turning—breath quiet, hearing refined—before mantra and offering.","primary_figures":["a dvija practitioner (gesture-focused)"],"setting":"minimalist ritual space with a faint hint of incense smoke and a water vessel; background patterns evoke sacred geometry.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["smoke gray","leaf green","earth umber","pearl white","amber"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: gesture-centric depiction of nostril-touch and ear-touch mudrās; gold leaf accents on fingertips and a subtle halo; rich maroon backdrop with ornamental borders, traditional iconographic clarity of hand positions.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined close-up with delicate shading; soft natural light filtering through leaves; the calm profile of the practitioner, fingers precisely placed on nostrils and ears; understated elegance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines emphasizing mudrā geometry; stylized face and hands, flat color fields in red/yellow/green with black contours; temple-wall compositional symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central figure framed by lotus creepers; decorative border includes conch and bell motifs symbolizing hearing; deep blue-green ground with gold detailing, rhythmic symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft breath","incense crackle","distant birds","single bell strike","quiet river hum (optional)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tarjanyaṃguṣṭhayogena = tarjanī + aṃguṣṭha + yogena; spṛśennāsāpuṭadvayam = spṛśet + nāsāpuṭadvayam; kaniṣṭhāṃguṣṭhayogena = kaniṣṭhā + aṃguṣṭha + yogena; samuspṛśet = sam + uspṛśet (< udspṛśet)
FAQs
It gives a practical instruction for a yogic technique involving finger placement—touching/controlling the nostrils and closing the ears—commonly used to aid breath regulation and sensory withdrawal (pratyāhāra) during meditation.
Controlling the nostrils supports regulated breathing (prāṇāyāma), while closing the ears helps reduce external auditory distraction, assisting inward focus.
No deity name or explicit dialogue frame appears in this single śloka; it reads as a direct procedural instruction within the chapter’s yogic context.