Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

विशुद्धां मृदमादाय बर्हिषस्तिलगोमयम् । शुचौ देशे परिस्थाप्य ह्याचम्य स्नानमाचरेत्

Transliteration

viśuddhāṃ mṛdamādāya barhiṣastilagomayam | śucau deśe paristhāpya hyācamya snānamācaret

Translation

ให้นำดินสะอาด หญ้าบัรหิษ (กุศะ) งา และมูลโค มาจัดวางไว้ ณ ที่บริสุทธิ์; แล้วทำอาจมนะ (ācamanā) จากนั้นจึงประกอบการสรงน้ำ

Word by Word

• विशुद्धाम्: pure
• विशुद्धाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; 'मृदम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मृदम्: clay, earth
• मृदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; 'आदाय' = 'गृहीत्वा'

• बर्हिषः: of kuśa-grass (sacrificial grass)
• बर्हिषः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्हिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तिलगोमयम्: sesame and cow-dung
• तिलगोमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + गोमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (तिलं च गोमयं च)

• शुचौ: in a clean (place)
• शुचौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'देशे' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देशे: in a place
• देशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• परिस्थाप्य: having placed/arranged
• परिस्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; 'परिस्थाप्य' = 'स्थापयित्वा'

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/पदार्थ-प्रबोधक), emphasis/indeed

• आचम्य: having sipped water (ācamana)
• आचम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चम् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; 'आचम्य' = 'आचमनं कृत्वा'

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; विध्यर्थः (should)

Speaker

Deductive (contextual narrator within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kings/disciples in the Dharmāraṇyaka discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A practitioner at dawn lays out clean clay, kuśa grass, sesame, and cow-dung on a purified patch of ground; a water pot and small ladle indicate ācamanā before bathing.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is deliberate and ordered: preparing pure materials and beginning with ācamana makes the act of bathing a sacred rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse details general ritual procedure applicable across tīrthas and homes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Collect and place purificatory items in a clean spot, perform ācamana, and then begin the bath.