Shloka 22

Ācamana-vidhi, Śauca, and Conduct Rules for Study, Eating, and Bodily Functions

Devanagari script

कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठयोगेन श्रवणे समुपस्पृशेत् / सर्वासामथ योगेन हृदयं तु तलेन वा / संस्पृशेद् वा शिरस्तद्वदङ्गुष्ठेनाथवा द्वयम्

Transliteration

kaniṣṭhāṅguṣṭhayogena śravaṇe samupaspṛśet / sarvāsāmatha yogena hṛdayaṃ tu talena vā / saṃspṛśed vā śirastadvadaṅguṣṭhenāthavā dvayam

Translation

Kết ngón út với ngón cái, hãy nhẹ nhàng chạm vào đôi tai. Rồi hợp tất cả các ngón thành một ấn, dùng lòng bàn tay chạm vào tim; hoặc cũng theo cách ấy chạm lên đỉnh đầu—bằng ngón cái, hay bằng cả hai tay cùng lúc.

Word by Word

• कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठयोगेन: with the joining of little finger and thumb
• कनिष्ठाङ्गुष्ठयोगेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनिष्ठा + अङ्गुष्ठ + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कनिष्ठायाः अङ्गुष्ठस्य च योगः); पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘with the joining of little finger and thumb’

• श्रवणे: on the ears
• श्रवणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), द्विवचन; ‘in/on the ears’

• समुपस्पृशेत्: should touch
• समुपस्पृशेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वासाम्: of all
• सर्वासाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वा) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), षष्ठी (Gen. 6), बहुवचन; विशेषण; ‘of all (fingers)’ (elliptic)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/particle); ‘then/next’

• योगेन: by joining
• योगेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘by union/combination’

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन

• तु: and/then
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• तलेन: with the palm
• तलेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘with the palm’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle); ‘or’

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘should touch’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय; ‘or’

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial), तुल्यवाचक; ‘likewise/in the same way’

• अङ्गुष्ठेन: with the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन; ‘with the thumb’

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ + वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conj.), विकल्पार्थक; ‘or else’

• द्वयम्: the pair/both
• द्वयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन; ‘a pair/both’ (contextual object)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in yogic/ritual procedure (nyāsa-style aṅga-sparśa)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Yoga (nyāsa/aṅga-sparśa)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By prescribing disciplined bodily touch-points (ears, heart, head) as part of yoga, the verse implies that realization of the Self is supported by ordered inwardness: the senses are quieted (ears), the inner seat is recollected (heart), and awareness is gathered at the crown (head).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights nyāsa-like aṅga-sparśa: specific hand-finger unions (mudrā-style joining of thumb with little finger, then all fingers together) and mindful touching of ears, heart, and head—used to seal attention, restrain sensory flow, and stabilize mantra-dhyāna in the Kurma Purana’s yoga-vidhi.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Though spoken by Lord Kurma (Vishnu), the technique aligns with Śaiva-Pāśupata ritual-yoga idioms (nyāsa, mudrā, aṅga-sparśa), reflecting the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where Vishnu teaches methods resonant with Shaiva yoga discipline.