Shloka 22

Procedure of Ācamana and Rules of Ritual Purity (Śauca)

Devanagari script

तर्जन्यंगुष्ठयोगेन स्पृशेन्नासापुटद्वयम् । कनिष्ठांगुष्ठयोगेन श्रवणे समुस्पृशेत्

Transliteration

tarjanyaṃguṣṭhayogena spṛśennāsāpuṭadvayam | kaniṣṭhāṃguṣṭhayogena śravaṇe samuspṛśet

Translation

شہادت کی انگلی کو انگوٹھے کے ساتھ ملا کر دونوں نتھنوں کو چھوئے؛ اور چھوٹی انگلی کو انگوٹھے کے ساتھ ملا کر دونوں کانوں کو چھو کر (بند) کرے۔

Word by Word

• tarjanī-aṃguṣṭha-yogena: with the joining of index finger and thumb
• tarjanī-aṃguṣṭha-yogena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarjanī (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃguṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; (tarjanī-aṃguṣṭhayoḥ yogaḥ) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘by the joining of index finger and thumb’

• spṛśet: should touch
• spṛśet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• nāsā-puṭa-dvayam: the two nostrils
• nāsā-puṭa-dvayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsā (प्रातिपदिक) + puṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (द्वि संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; द्विगु: dve nāsāpuṭe ‘the two nostrils’

• kaniṣṭhā-aṃguṣṭha-yogena: with the joining of little finger and thumb
• kaniṣṭhā-aṃguṣṭha-yogena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaniṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃguṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; (kaniṣṭhā-aṃguṣṭhayoḥ yogaḥ) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘by the joining of little finger and thumb’

• śravaṇe: on/at the ear
• śravaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• sam-uspṛśet: should duly touch
• sam-uspṛśet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ud√spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; with preverb sam-; (ud- assimilated in sandhi to u-)

Speaker

Unspecified (instructional narration within the Svarga-khaṇḍa context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: tarjanyaṃguṣṭhayogena = tarjanī + aṃguṣṭha + yogena; spṛśennāsāpuṭadvayam = spṛśet + nāsāpuṭadvayam; kaniṣṭhāṃguṣṭhayogena = kaniṣṭhā + aṃguṣṭha + yogena; samuspṛśet = sam + uspṛśet (< udspṛśet)

FAQs

What practice is this verse describing?

It gives a practical instruction for a yogic technique involving finger placement—touching/controlling the nostrils and closing the ears—commonly used to aid breath regulation and sensory withdrawal (pratyāhāra) during meditation.

Why are the nostrils and ears touched or closed?

Controlling the nostrils supports regulated breathing (prāṇāyāma), while closing the ears helps reduce external auditory distraction, assisting inward focus.

Is a specific deity or dialogue pair referenced in this verse?

No deity name or explicit dialogue frame appears in this single śloka; it reads as a direct procedural instruction within the chapter’s yogic context.