Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5
ततः स्वजानुमात्रेण संप्राप्तं पृथिवीतले । ततो विष्णुपदी गंगा प्रसिद्धिमगमत्क्षितौ
tataḥ svajānumātreṇa saṃprāptaṃ pṛthivītale | tato viṣṇupadī gaṃgā prasiddhimagamatkṣitau
ثمّ هبطت تلك المياه إلى الأرض في مقدارٍ يبلغ ركبةَ الربّ نفسه، فبلغت سطح العالم. ومنذ ذلك الحدث اشتهرت الغانغا في الأرض باسم «فيشنوبادي»—النهر المولود من قدم فيشنو.
Sūta (deduced)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Viṣṇupadī)
Type: river
Scene: A luminous stream descends from Viṣṇu’s foot-region to earth, stopping at ‘knee-measure’ imagery; the river is personified as Gaṅgā, radiant and flowing, with the epithet ‘Viṣṇupadī’ emphasized.
FAQs
Gaṅgā’s holiness is grounded in her divine source—Viṣṇu’s Foot—making contact with her a purifier within dharma.
The verse highlights the Viṣṇupada tradition and the sanctity of Gaṅgā as she becomes renowned on earth, within the Prabhāsakṣetra narrative flow.
No direct prescription here; it establishes why later bathing and worship at connected tīrthas yields merit.