Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

विप्णुपादोदके तीर्थे वारिकार्यं करोति यः । व्यतीपातेन नियतं भूयः सांसारिकी गतिः

Transliteration

vipṇupādodake tīrthe vārikāryaṃ karoti yaḥ | vyatīpātena niyataṃ bhūyaḥ sāṃsārikī gatiḥ

Translation

Wer am Tīrtha des Fußwassers Viṣṇus das Wasseropfer vollzieht, wenn es zur unheilvollen Zeit des Vyatīpāta geschieht, fällt gewiss wieder in den weltlichen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburten zurück.

Word by Word

• विष्णुपादोदके: in the water of Viṣṇu’s feet (pādodaka)
• विष्णुपादोदके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः पादस्य उदकम्)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• वारिकार्यम्: a water-rite / water-offering act
• वारिकार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वारिणा/वारिसम्बन्धि कार्यम्)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• व्यतीपातेन: by/through the (inauspicious) vyatīpāta (astral conjunction)
• व्यतीपातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यतीपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• नियतं: certainly, inevitably
• नियतं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘certainly/inevitably’)

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थे)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सांसारिकी: worldly, pertaining to saṃsāra
• सांसारिकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांसारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गतिः: course, destiny, state
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupādodaka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Kāśī tīrtha pours water offerings (tarpaṇa) into a small shrine-basin marked by Viṣṇu’s footprints; the sky shows ominous astral conjunctions indicating Vyatīpāta, while priests gesture to stop and redirect the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu-pādodaka tīrtha
• Vyatīpāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma stresses not only the act but its proper timing and propriety; ritual performed wrongly can negate or reverse spiritual benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇu-pādodaka tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing vāri-kārya (water rites such as tarpaṇa/udaka offerings) with caution regarding the Vyatīpāta period.