Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

उपस्पृशेद्विहीनाभिस्तुषांगारास्थिभस्मभिः । अतिस्वच्छाभिरद्भिश्च यावद्धृद्गाभिरत्वरः

Transliteration

upaspṛśedvihīnābhistuṣāṃgārāsthibhasmabhiḥ | atisvacchābhiradbhiśca yāvaddhṛdgābhiratvaraḥ

Translation

Apabila tiada air yang sesuai, hendaklah melakukan ācamana (upaspṛśa) dengan air yang dijernihkan menggunakan sekam, arang, abu tulang dan seumpamanya. Dan apabila mampu, lakukan dengan air yang sangat jernih dan dalam hingga ke hati, tanpa tergesa-gesa.

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.