Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

उपस्पृशेद्विहीनाभिस्तुषांगारास्थिभस्मभिः । अतिस्वच्छाभिरद्भिश्च यावद्धृद्गाभिरत्वरः

Transliteration

upaspṛśedvihīnābhistuṣāṃgārāsthibhasmabhiḥ | atisvacchābhiradbhiśca yāvaddhṛdgābhiratvaraḥ

Translation

യോജ്യമായ ജലം ലഭ്യമല്ലെങ്കിലും തുഷം, അങ്കാരം, അസ്ഥിഭസ്മം മുതലായവകൊണ്ട് (പരിശോധിതമാക്കിയ) ജലത്തിൽ ഉപസ്പർശനം/ആചമനം ചെയ്യണം; കൂടാതെ സാധ്യമെങ്കിൽ അത്യന്തം സുതാര്യവും ഹൃദയംവരെ ആഴമുള്ള ജലത്താലും—അവസരപ്പെടാതെ—ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• उपस्पृशेत्: should touch/sip (for purification)
• उपस्पृशेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विहीनाभिः: with (waters) free from (impurities)
• विहीनाभिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; 'अद्भिः' इत्यस्य विशेषण (devoid of impurities)

• तुष: chaff
• तुष: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (husk/chaff)

• अङ्गार: charcoal/embers
• अङ्गार: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (charcoal/embers)

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (bone)

• भस्मभिः: with (waters) devoid of chaff, charcoal, bones, and ash
• भस्मभिः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (तुष + अङ्गार + अस्थि + भस्म), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; 'विहीनाभिः' इत्यनेन विशेषितम्

• अति: very
• अति: क्रियाविशेषण (Degree)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (intensifier: very)

• स्वच्छाभिः: clear/pure
• स्वच्छाभिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'अद्भिः' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• अद्भिः: with waters
• अद्भिः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अद् (प्रातिपदिक: अप् ‘water’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन (irregular plural: अद्भिः)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यावत्: up to
• यावत्: अवधि (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (as far as/until)

• हृद्गाभिः: (waters) reaching up to the heart-depth
• हृद्गाभिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत्/हृद् + गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हृदः गाः = heart-deep), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'अद्भिः' इत्यस्य विशेषण (waters reaching the heart-depth)

• अत्वरः: without haste
• अत्वरः: कर्ता (Agent as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + त्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण (without haste)

Speaker

Anonymous Purāṇic narrator (Dharmāraṇya instructional passage; speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a roadside well clarifies water using a cloth and charcoal/husk, then performs ācamana calmly; in the background a clear deep river symbolizes the ideal.

Characters & Entities

• Ācamana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when conditions are imperfect, one should uphold purity with practical methods and a calm, attentive mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse gives general guidance on water and ācamana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform upaspṛśa/ācamana using available means (water clarified with husk/charcoal/ash, etc.); when possible use very clear water, and do it without haste.