Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 132

Devanagari script

भोजने शयने स्थाने उत्सर्गे मलमूत्रयोः । रथ्याचंक्रमणे चार्द्रपञ्चकश्चाचमेत्सदा

Transliteration

bhojane śayane sthāne utsarge malamūtrayoḥ | rathyācaṃkramaṇe cārdrapañcakaścācametsadā

Translation

भोजने शयने स्थानपरिवर्तने तथा । मलमूत्रोत्सर्गे रथ्याचंक्रमणे च सदा आचमेत्, आर्द्रपञ्चकं चाचरेत् ॥

Word by Word

• भोजने: during eating/at a meal
• भोजने: Adhikarana (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• शयने: in bed/while lying down
• शयने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• उत्सर्गे: at the time of excretion/letting go
• उत्सर्गे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• मलमूत्रयोः: of feces and urine
• मलमूत्रयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Genitive dual)

• रथ्याचंक्रमणे: while walking in the street
• रथ्याचंक्रमणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक) + चंक्रमण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-भावः (rathyāyāṃ caṃkramaṇam = walking in the street)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• आर्द्रपञ्चकः: the wet fivefold (rite)
• आर्द्रपञ्चकः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular); कर्मधारयः (ārdraṃ pañcakam = ‘wet fivefold set’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• आचमेत्: should sip (water) / perform ācamana
• आचमेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चम (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg); धातु: चम (आचमन-कर्मणि)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-householder sequence panel: eating, resting, moving to a new seat, using a latrine area, walking through a bazaar street; in each transition he performs ācamana from a small water vessel; a secondary vignette shows washing hands/feet and rinsing as the ‘wet five’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular purification keeps the body and mind fit for dharma and worship; cleanliness is treated as sacred discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a general śauca practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform ācamana and the prescribed water-based cleansing acts after key daily activities like eating, sleeping, walking outside, and elimination.