Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एवं विष्णोः पदं तत्र संजातं मुनिसत्तमाः । सर्वपापहरं पुंसां तदा विष्णुपदी स्मृता

Transliteration

evaṃ viṣṇoḥ padaṃ tatra saṃjātaṃ munisattamāḥ | sarvapāpaharaṃ puṃsāṃ tadā viṣṇupadī smṛtā

Translation

So, o beste der Weisen, offenbarte sich dort Viṣṇus Fußspur. Da sie alle Sünden der Menschen hinweg nimmt, wurde sie damals als „Viṣṇupadī“ in Erinnerung gehalten.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

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

• पदम्: footprint/step/place
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• संजातम्: arose, came into being
• संजातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पदम्’ इत्यस्य विधेय—arose/was produced

• मुनिसत्तमाः: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/सम्बोधनसमान), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (O best sages)

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(गङ्गा/विष्णुपदी)’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; सर्वाणि पापानि हरति

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-vishesana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• विष्णुपदी: (named) Viṣṇupadī
• विष्णुपदी: Samjna (Predicate nominative/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + पदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संज्ञा

• स्मृता: was called
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—was called/remembered

Speaker

Narrator addressing sages (munisattamāḥ) (exact named speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī / Viṣṇupada (Footprint tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munisattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred stone or platform bears Viṣṇu’s footprint mark; sages stand with folded hands as the footprint ‘appears’ or is revealed, radiating purifying light.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupadī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with a divinely established tīrtha—especially one linked to Viṣṇu—functions as a comprehensive purifier of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Viṣṇu-pada/Viṣṇupadī tīrtha—centered on the manifestation of Viṣṇu’s sacred Footprint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is tīrtha-sevā through approach and reverence; explicit ritual details appear in subsequent verses (snāna, touch).