Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यावज्जीवमहं भूयां त्वत्पादोदकपायिनी । खखोल्कानि पतेदेषा भृशगद्गदभाषिणी

Transliteration

yāvajjīvamahaṃ bhūyāṃ tvatpādodakapāyinī | khakholkāni patedeṣā bhṛśagadgadabhāṣiṇī

Translation

«Solange ich lebe, möge ich die sein, die das Wasser trinkt, das deine Füße gewaschen hat.» Und sie, deren Stimme von heftigem Zittern erstickt war, stammelte in Verwirrung: «khakholkāni…».

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधि-वाचक (so long as)

• जीवम्: while living / for life
• जीवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जीव् (धातु) → जीव (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे कर्मप्रवचनीयवत्; ‘यावत्’ सह अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (yāvaj-jīvam = as long as one lives)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूयाम्: may I be
• भूयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वत्-पाद-उदक-पायिनी: drinking the water of your feet (foot-wash)
• त्वत्-पाद-उदक-पायिनी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वत् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + पायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—त्वत्पादस्य उदकं पिबति या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + उपपद-समासभाव)

• ख-खोल्कानि: sky-meteors / fiery particles in the sky
• ख-खोल्कानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक) + खोल्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—खोल्कानि (कण/उल्का-प्रायाः) ये खसम्बद्धाः/खस्थाः (कर्मधारय)

• पतेत्: may fall
• पतेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भृश: excessively
• भृश: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier adverb)

• गद्गद-भाषिणी: speaking with a stammering/choked voice
• गद्गद-भाषिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गद्गद (प्रातिपदिक) + भाषिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—गद्गदा भाषिणी (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Kadrū

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages in the frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant, shaking and stammering, vows to drink the water that has washed the protector’s feet; the scene focuses on a small vessel of water, bowed posture, and the protector’s composed presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kadrū
• Vinatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverential service (sevā) is expressed through pādodaka—symbolizing acceptance of another’s protection and the purification gained through humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific Kāśī tīrtha is named in this line; the focus is interpersonal supplication within the broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the imagery of pādodaka highlights devotional etiquette rather than a mandated ritual.