Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अक्षालितपदद्वद्व आचांतोऽप्यशुचिर्म्मतः । त्रिः पीत्वांबु विशुद्ध्यर्थं ततः खानि विशोधयेत्

Transliteration

akṣālitapadadvadva ācāṃto'pyaśucirmmataḥ | triḥ pītvāṃbu viśuddhyarthaṃ tataḥ khāni viśodhayet

Translation

രണ്ട് കാലുകളും കഴുകാതെ ആചമനം ചെയ്താലും അശുദ്ധനായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ശുദ്ധിക്കായി മൂന്നു പ്രാവശ്യം വെള്ളം കുടിച്ച് ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ ശുദ്ധിയാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अक्षालितपदद्वन्द्वः: one whose pair of feet is unwashed
• अक्षालितपदद्वन्द्वः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षालित (कृदन्त; √क्षल् धोवने, नञ्-पूर्वक क्त) + पदद्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक; पद + द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः

• आचान्तः: having sipped (water)
• आचान्तः: Karta (कर्ता; with following predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचान्त (कृदन्त; आ-√चम्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि क्त (past participle)

• अपि: even/though
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपवाद/समुच्चय (particle)

• अशुचिः: impure
• अशुचिः: Karta-predicate (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: Kriya (copular sense)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त; √मन् ज्ञाने, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे क्त; ‘इति मतः’ = ‘is considered’

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (numeral adverb)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु; पाने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for purification
• विशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्ध्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; विशुद्धि + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then/from that)

• खानि: the openings (sense-organs)
• खानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विशोधयेत्: should cleanse
• विशोधयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुध् (धातु; शुद्धौ)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense (शोधयति)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a threshold: washing feet at a small basin, then sipping water thrice, then touching eyes/ears/nose as symbolic cleansing of openings.

Characters & Entities

• Ācamana
• Pādaprakṣālana (washing feet)
• Khāni (sense-openings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer cleanliness supports inner discipline; dharma requires completeness in small observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No pilgrimage location is mentioned; the verse teaches general śauca practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Wash both feet; sip water three times for ācamana; then purify the sense-openings (khāni).