Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तिष्ठते च सदा तत्र विष्णुपादाग्रसंस्थिता । अम्भसो न भवेन्मार्गः कुण्डमध्यस्थितस्य च

Transliteration

tiṣṭhate ca sadā tatra viṣṇupādāgrasaṃsthitā | ambhaso na bhavenmārgaḥ kuṇḍamadhyasthitasya ca

Translation

There it ever remains, stationed at the forepart of Viṣṇu’s feet. And for one who stands in the middle of the kuṇḍa, there is no passage for the water to escape.

Word by Word

• तिष्ठते: stands/remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• विष्णुपादाग्रसंस्थिता: situated at the tip of Viṣṇu’s foot
• विष्णुपादाग्रसंस्थिता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + पाद + अग्र + सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: समास: विष्णोः पादस्य अग्रे (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष) + संस्थिता (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (नदी/रेखाया इत्यादेः)

• अम्भसः: of water
• अम्भसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• भवेत्: would be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मार्गः: path/way
• मार्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कुण्डमध्यस्थितस्य: of (one) situated in the middle of the pond
• कुण्डमध्यस्थितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुण्ड + मध्य + सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: समास: कुण्डस्य मध्ये (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष) + स्थित (क्त); पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of one situated in the middle of the pond’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupāda-agra-sannidhi kuṇḍa (as described)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pond (kuṇḍa) in a temple precinct; Janārdana’s presence is shown near/at the feet motif; a pilgrim stands at the center of the kuṇḍa while water appears mysteriously still, without outward flow.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Janārdana)
• Viṣṇupāda (Viṣṇu’s feet)
• Kuṇḍa (sacred tank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is depicted as divinely ‘sealed’ and protected—symbolizing steadfast grace and contained sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Viṣṇupāda-marked kuṇḍa within the Brahmeśa/Śūlabheda sacred complex of Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit injunction, but the imagery supports tīrtha-snān (bathing) and reverential approach to the kuṇḍa.