Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

प्राप्य वाराणसीं व्यासः स्नात्वा पंचनदे ह्रदे । श्रीमन्माधवमभ्यर्च्य ययौ पादोदकं ततः

Transliteration

prāpya vārāṇasīṃ vyāsaḥ snātvā paṃcanade hrade | śrīmanmādhavamabhyarcya yayau pādodakaṃ tataḥ

Translation

Having reached Vārāṇasī, Vyāsa bathed in the lake of Pañcanada. Then, worshipping the venerable Mādhava, he proceeded thereafter to seek the sacred water from the Lord’s feet (pādodaka).

Word by Word

• prāpya: having reached/obtained
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग) ; prāpya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), क्रियाविशेषणभावः; ‘having obtained/reached’

• vārāṇasīm: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• vārāṇasīm: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having bathed’

• paṃcanade: in Pañcanada (the place of five rivers)
• paṃcanade: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcanada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: pañca + nada (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः; ‘five rivers’); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• hrade: in the lake
• hrade: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• śrīmanmādhavam: Śrīmān Mādhava (Vishnu)
• śrīmanmādhavam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīman + mādhava (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: śrīman (श्रीमान्) + mādhava; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• abhyarcya: having worshipped
• abhyarcya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु) + abhi- (उपसर्ग) ; abhyarcya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having worshipped’

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pādodakam: water from (the Lord’s) feet
• pādodakam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda + udaka (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: pāda-udaka (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of the feet’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thereupon/from there/then’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañcanada-hrada (Kāśī) and Śrīman-Mādhava-kṣetra within Kāśī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Vyāsa arrives at Kāśī, bathes in a serene sacred lake (Pañcanada-hrada), then stands before Śrīman-Mādhava with folded hands, receiving/aspiring for the Lord’s pādodaka as attendants hold ritual vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Vyāsa
• Pañcanada (hrada)
• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• pādodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī is completed through purifying bath, deity-worship, and reverent reception of sanctified water—outer rites supporting inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī’s Pañcanada-hrada and the shrine of Mādhava (a Vaiṣṇava sacred presence within Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Pañcanada-hrada and arcana (worship) of Mādhava, followed by taking pādodaka (sacred foot-water).