Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

त्रिः पीत्वांबु विशुद्ध्यर्थं ततः खानि विशोधयेत् । अंगुष्ठमूलदेशेन द्विर्द्विरोष्ठाधरौ स्पृशेत्

Transliteration

triḥ pītvāṃbu viśuddhyarthaṃ tataḥ khāni viśodhayet | aṃguṣṭhamūladeśena dvirdviroṣṭhādharau spṛśet

Translation

ശുദ്ധിക്കായി മൂന്നു പ്രാവശ്യം ജലം ആചമിക്കണം; തുടർന്ന് ശരീരത്തിലെ രന്ധ്രങ്ങളെ ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കണം. അങ്കുഷ്ഠത്തിന്റെ മൂലഭാഗംകൊണ്ട് മേലും കീഴും ഉള്ള അധരങ്ങളെ രണ്ടുതവണ വീതം സ്പർശിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• त्रिः: three times
• त्रिः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (thrice)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having drunk’

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

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थ (then/thereafter)

• खानि: the bodily apertures
• खानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘खानि’ = इन्द्रियच्छिद्राणि (openings)

• विशोधयेत्: should cleanse
• विशोधयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-शुध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अङ्गुष्ठमूलदेशेन: with the base part of the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठमूलदेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ-मूल-देश (प्रातिपदिक; अङ्गुष्ठ + मूल + देश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘अङ्गुष्ठस्य मूलदेशः’

• द्विः: twice
• द्विः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (twice)

• द्विः: twice (again)
• द्विः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त्या आवृत्तिः (again: twice)

• ओष्ठाधरौ: the upper and lower lips
• ओष्ठाधरौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओष्ठ-अधर (प्रातिपदिक; ओष्ठ + अधर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (upper and lower lip)

• स्पृशेत्: should touch
• स्पृशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly as Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ācamana-vidhi in Kāśī (Gaṅgā context)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual sequence: a devotee seated facing east on a ghāṭa step, sipping water thrice from a cupped palm, then touching upper and lower lips with the base of the thumb in measured repetitions.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is a disciplined sequence—performed with order and precision to cultivate inner and outer readiness for sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; this is a general ācamana-vidhi within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sip water three times, then purify by touching the lips (upper and lower) twice each with the base of the thumb.