Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नमस्ये त्वां भगवति विष्णुपादतलोद्भवे । गृहाणार्घ्यमिदं देवि गंगे त्वं हरिणा सह

Transliteration

namasye tvāṃ bhagavati viṣṇupādatalodbhave | gṛhāṇārghyamidaṃ devi gaṃge tvaṃ hariṇā saha

Translation

Ich verneige mich vor dir, o erhabene Göttin, die aus der Fußsohle Viṣṇus hervorging. O Devī Gaṅgā, nimm dieses Arghya an—zusammen mit Hari.

Word by Word

• नमस्ये: I bow (to)
• नमस्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-य (धातु; नामधातु from नमस्)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री/पुं (प्रयोगानुसार), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• भगवति: O blessed lady
• भगवति: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• विष्णु-पाद-तल-उद्भवे: O one arisen from Vishnu’s foot-sole
• विष्णु-पाद-तल-उद्भवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः पादतलात् उद्भवः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• गृहाण: accept
• गृहाण: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya-offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्घ्यम् इति विशेषण

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• गङ्गे: O Ganga
• गङ्गे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• हरिणा: with Hari
• हरिणा: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/सह), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition meaning ‘with’)

Speaker

Prahlāda (teaching/quoting the arghya-mantra for the tīrtha/deity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (with Gaṅgā invoked as Viṣṇupadī for tīrtha-rite)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at a sacred shore/ghāṭa, hands cupped in añjali holding arghya-water, bowing to Goddess Gaṅgā envisioned as a radiant river-deity emerging from Viṣṇu’s foot, with Hari’s presence implied behind as a blue-hued divine form.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Viṣṇu
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is approached as living divinity: reverence to Gaṅgā is simultaneously devotion to Hari, the source of her sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā/Vaiṣṇavī presence understood as arising from Viṣṇu’s foot—invoked within the Dvārakā Māhātmya tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite a salutation and offer arghya to Gaṅgā, invoking her as Viṣṇu-foot-born and united with Hari.