Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विष्णुपादोदकं नित्यं शिरसा धार्यते न वा । पादोद्भवं च गंगोदं द्वादशाब्दफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

viṣṇupādodakaṃ nityaṃ śirasā dhāryate na vā | pādodbhavaṃ ca gaṃgodaṃ dvādaśābdaphalapradam

Translation

Trägst du täglich auf deinem Haupt das Wasser, das Viṣṇus Füße gewaschen hat—oder nicht? Dieses Ganga-Wasser, aus den Füßen des Herrn hervorgegangen, verleiht die Frucht von zwölf Jahren Verdienst.

Word by Word

• विष्णुपादोदकम्: water from Viṣṇu’s feet
• विष्णुपादोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः पादस्य उदकम्)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• शिरसा: with (one’s) head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• धार्यते: is to be borne/held
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पादोद्भवम्: arisen from the foot
• पादोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (पादात् उद्भवम्)

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

• गंगोदकम्: water of the Gaṅgā
• गंगोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः उदकम्)

• द्वादशाब्दफलप्रदम्: granting the fruit of twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः (द्वादश-अब्द-फल-प्रदम् = द्वादशवर्षफलप्रदम्)

Speaker

Gālava (deduced from nearby verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupādodaka (Gaṅgā-jala)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage holds a small vessel of Gaṅgā-jala, indicating the act of placing it upon the head; a luminous stream descends symbolically from Viṣṇu’s feet in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for sacred water connected to Viṣṇu—especially Gaṅgā-jala—functions as a potent carrier of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is invoked as a divine tīrtha arising from Viṣṇu’s feet, emphasizing her pan-Indian sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily honoring/placing Viṣṇu-pādodaka (caraṇāmṛta) and Gaṅgā water upon one’s head is recommended.