Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा भुक्त्वा पयः पीत्वा प्रारंभे शुभकर्मणाम् । सुप्त्वा वासः परीधाय दृष्ट्वा तथाप्यमंगलम्

Transliteration

snātvā bhuktvā payaḥ pītvā prāraṃbhe śubhakarmaṇām | suptvā vāsaḥ parīdhāya dṛṣṭvā tathāpyamaṃgalam

Translation

После омовения, после еды, после питья молока, при начале благих обрядов, после сна, после облачения в одежду и даже после созерцания дурного знамения — следует вновь совершить ачаману (ācamana), обновляя чистоту.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: स्ना; अर्थे: स्नानं कृत्वा (having bathed)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: भुज्; भुक्त्वा = भोजनं कृत्वा (having eaten)

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: पा (पिबति); पीत्वा = पित्वा (having drunk)

• प्रारंभे: at the beginning
• प्रारंभे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रारम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुभकर्मणाम्: of auspicious rites/actions
• शुभकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कर्मन्), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः: कर्मधारय (शुभं कर्म = शुभकर्म)

• सुप्त्वा: having slept
• सुप्त्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: स्वप्; सुप्त्वा = निद्रां कृत्वा (having slept)

• वासः: garment/clothing
• वासः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परीधाय: having put on (clothes)
• परीधाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: धा; उपसर्ग: परि; अर्थ: परिधानं कृत्वा (having put on)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: दृश्; दृष्ट्वा = अवलोक्य (having seen)

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: 'thus/so')

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: 'also/even')

• अमंगलम्: inauspiciousness/ill-omen
• अमंगलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder/pilgrim at dawn: having bathed, eaten, and dressed, he pauses at the threshold with a small water vessel, performing ācamana before beginning an auspicious rite; an inauspicious sight is symbolically shown at a distance, prompting renewed purification.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Śubhakarma
• Ācamana (implied)
• Amaṅgala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is a recurring discipline; one renews sacred readiness at key transitions of daily life and ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse lists occasions requiring renewed purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Renew purification (commonly by ācamana) after bathing, eating, drinking milk, beginning auspicious rites, sleeping, dressing, and after encountering inauspiciousness.