Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तावच्च जीवितं श्रेयो यावत्त्वं हृदि वर्तसे । रोगाः प्रशममायांति त्वत्पादोदक सेवनात्

Transliteration

tāvacca jīvitaṃ śreyo yāvattvaṃ hṛdi vartase | rogāḥ praśamamāyāṃti tvatpādodaka sevanāt

Translation

Life is truly auspicious only so long as You abide within the heart. Diseases come to peace and subside by partaking of the water that has washed Your feet.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Temporal measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाण-अव्यय (correlative adverb: so long/that much)

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

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रेयः: good, auspicious
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal measure/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाण-अव्यय (relative adverb: as long as)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वर्तसे: abide, remain
• वर्तसे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• रोगाः: diseases
• रोगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रशमम्: cessation, pacification
• प्रशमम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praśama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आयान्ति: come, reach
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• त्वत्: your/of you
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (genitive stem used in compound)

• पाद: foot
• पाद: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-पूर्वपद (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: त्वत्-पाद = your feet)

• उदक: water
• उदक: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-उत्तरपद; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास: त्वत्पादोदक = water of your feet

• सेवनात्: from/by (the act of) service
• सेवनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caraṇodaka/Caraṇāmṛta (pāda-tīrtha) within Kāśī worship culture

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with hands cupped receives caraṇāmṛta from a priest; the Lord is shown as a radiant presence within the devotee’s heart-lotus; shadowy ‘diseases’ dissolve into calm light.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Viṣṇu
• pādodaka (caraṇāmṛta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest value of life is inner devotion, and sacred contact with the Lord’s pādodaka is praised as a remover of afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework, the verse supports the broader mahātmya of devotion in Kāśī rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevana of pādodaka (caraṇāmṛta)—partaking of sanctified water associated with the Lord’s worship.