Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तीर्थस्नानार्थिनी चैव पतिपादोदकं पिबेत् । शंकरादपि वा विष्णोः पतिरेवाधि कः स्त्रियः

Transliteration

tīrthasnānārthinī caiva patipādodakaṃ pibet | śaṃkarādapi vā viṣṇoḥ patirevādhi kaḥ striyaḥ

Translation

وإن رغبتْ في ثوابِ الاغتسال عند المَعبر المقدّس، فلتشرب ماءَ غسلِ قدمي زوجها؛ فإنّ الزوجَ للمرأة يُعَدّ أعظمَ حتى من شانكَرا أو فيشنو.

Word by Word

• तीर्थस्नानार्थिनी: a woman desiring pilgrimage-bath
• तीर्थस्नानार्थिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ङीप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः (tīrtha-snāna-arthinī = “one desiring bathing at a tīrtha”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• पतिपादोदकम्: water from (washing) the husband’s feet
• पतिपादोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pati-pāda-udaka = “water of the husband’s feet”)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should drink)

• शंकरात्: than Śaṅkara
• शंकरात्: Apadana (Comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. ablative singular: “than Śaṅkara”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. genitive singular: “of Viṣṇu”)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nominative singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• अधिकः: superior
• अधिकः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nominative singular; predicate adjective)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• स्त्रियः: of a woman
• स्त्रियः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. genitive singular: “of a woman”)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice; didactic instruction in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pati-pādodaka (domestic tīrtha substitute)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reverential act: wife receives a small vessel of water used to wash husband’s feet; the scene is framed like a miniature tīrtha ritual, with a sanctified aura around the household.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse elevates household devotion as a potent spiritual path, equating service to the spouse with sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse speaks generally of tīrtha-snāna merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Drinking the water from washing the husband’s feet is presented as equivalent to tīrtha-bathing merit.