Shloka 3

The Greatness of Viṣṇu’s Foot-Water (Pādodaka) as a Destroyer of Sin

Devanagari script

विष्णुपादोदकं ब्रह्मन्स्पर्शतः पापनाशनम् । अकालमरणं नास्ति गंगास्नानफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

viṣṇupādodakaṃ brahmansparśataḥ pāpanāśanam | akālamaraṇaṃ nāsti gaṃgāsnānaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

يا أيها البرهمن، إن ماء قدمي فيشنو يزيل الخطيئة بمجرد الملامسة. ولا تكون لمن ناله وفاةٌ قبل أوانها، وينال ثوابًا كمن اغتسل في الغانغا.

Word by Word

• viṣṇupādodakam: water from Viṣṇu’s feet
• viṣṇupādodakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu + pāda + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• brahman: O brāhmaṇa
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• sparśataḥ: by (mere) touch
• sparśataḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + tasil (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘स्पर्शात्/स्पर्शतः’ = स्पर्शेनेति/स्पर्शमात्रेण

• pāpanāśanam: sin-destroying
• pāpanāśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• akālamaraṇam: untimely death
• akālamaraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a + kāla + maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (‘अकाले मरणम्’)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• gaṅgāsnānaphalam: the merit of bathing in the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgāsnānaphalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + snāna + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘गङ्गास्नानस्य फलम्’)

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (vocative 'brahman' indicates the verse is addressed to a Brahmin/sage within a dialogue).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ब्रह्मन्स्पर्शतः = ब्रह्मन् + स्पर्शतः; नास्ति = न + अस्ति; गंगास्नानफलं = गङ्गा + स्नान + फलम्

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ganga

FAQs

What does this verse say about Viṣṇupādodaka (caraṇāmṛta)?

It declares that water sanctified as “from Viṣṇu’s feet” purifies sins simply through contact, and grants merit comparable to bathing in the Gaṅgā.

How does this verse relate to sacred geography (tīrthas) like the Gaṅgā?

By equating the fruit of Gaṅgā-bathing with receiving Viṣṇupādodaka, it places devotional sanctity (Vaiṣṇava sacrality) on par with a premier geographical tīrtha.

What ethical or practical lesson is implied?

It encourages reverence for sacred substances connected with Viṣṇu and promotes purity of life through devotional practices, presenting them as protective (even against “untimely death”) and morally cleansing.