Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

विष्णोः पादप्रसूताया वैष्णवीति च विश्रुता । तत्र गत्वा महाभाग गृहीत्वाऽर्घ्यं विधानतः

Transliteration

viṣṇoḥ pādaprasūtāyā vaiṣṇavīti ca viśrutā | tatra gatvā mahābhāga gṛhītvā'rghyaṃ vidhānataḥ

Translation

هي مشهورة باسم «فايشنَفِي»، إذ وُلِدت من قدم فيشنو. يا ذا الحظ السعيد، إذا بلغتَ ذلك الموضع فلتقدِّم الأَرغْيَا (قُربان الماء للتبجيل) على وفق القاعدة المقرَّرة.

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पाद-प्रसूतायाः: born from (his) foot
• पाद-प्रसूतायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसूत (कृदन्त, क्त; √सू)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पादात् प्रसूता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; qualifying implied नदी/गङ्गा

• वैष्णवी: (she is) Vaishnavi
• वैष्णवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उक्तिसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विश्रुता: well-known
• विश्रुता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘well-known’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having gone’

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken’

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya-offering (water of respect)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• विधानतः: according to rule
• विधानतः: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधानतस् (अव्यय; विधान + तस्)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiṣṇavī tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāga (fortunate pilgrim) / dvija audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the edge of the Vaiṣṇavī kund offers arghya—water poured from joined palms or a small vessel—while a symbolic Viṣṇu footprint is visible on a stone/lotus pedestal near the water.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vaiṣṇavī (tīrtha/deity aspect)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-veneration is devotional yet disciplined: sacredness is honored through prescribed offerings made with proper method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaiṣṇavī—renowned as arising from Viṣṇu’s foot—within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go to the site and perform arghya-offering in accordance with vidhis (ritual injunctions).