Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मतीर्थेन दृष्टिपूताभिराचमेत् । कण्ठगाभिर्नृपः शुध्येत्तालुगाभिस्तथोरुजः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo brahmatīrthena dṛṣṭipūtābhirācamet | kaṇṭhagābhirnṛpaḥ śudhyettālugābhistathorujaḥ

Translation

ब्राह्मणाने ब्रह्मतीर्थाने व दृष्टीने पवित्र केलेल्या पाण्याने आचमन करावे. क्षत्रिय कंठगत पाण्याने व वैश्य तालुगत पाण्याने शुद्ध होतो.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मतीर्थेन: with the brahma-tīrtha (hand position)
• ब्रह्मतीर्थेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• दृष्टि: sight/vision
• दृष्टि: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (used as first member in compound)

• पूताभिः: purified
• पूताभिः: Karana (instrumental accompaniment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूत (कृदन्त; √पू पवने/शोधने, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘अद्भिः/जलैः’)

• आचमेत्: should sip (water)
• आचमेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चम् (धातु; आ-√चम् आचमने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कण्ठगाभिः: (with waters) reaching the throat
• कण्ठगाभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठग (प्रातिपदिक; कण्ठ + ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘अद्भिः/जलैः’)

• नृपः: a king
• नृपः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुध्येत्: should become purified
• शुध्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुध् (धातु; शुद्धौ)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तालुगाभिः: (with waters) reaching the palate
• तालुगाभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तालुग (प्रातिपदिक; तालु + ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘अद्भिः/जलैः’)

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

• ऊरुजः: one born from the thigh (Vaiśya)
• ऊरुजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरुज (प्रातिपदिक; ऊरु + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Nṛpa (Kṣatriya)
• Vaiśya
• Brahma-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in dharma is maintained through disciplined, correctly performed daily rites such as ācamana, done with mindfulness and proper method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is praised; the verse refers to the hand’s ritual ‘tīrtha’ (Brahma-tīrtha) used in ācamana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ācamana is prescribed with the Brahma-tīrtha; the depth to which water is sipped differs by social role (throat for a king, palate for a Vaiśya).