Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं पादोदकमितीरितम् । पादौ यदादौ शुभदौ क्षालितौ पीतवाससा

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṃ pādodakamitīritam | pādau yadādau śubhadau kṣālitau pītavāsasā

Translation

From that time onward, that sacred ford came to be known as “Pādodaka,” for there, at the very beginning, the auspicious feet were washed by Pītavāsā (Viṣṇu, the One clad in yellow).

Word by Word

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb): "then/at that time"

• āprabhṛti: from then onward
• āprabhṛti: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āprabhṛti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition/adverb): "from (that time) onwards"

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); विशेषण (demonstrative)

• tīrtham: holy ford/pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (Predicate nominative/नामधातु-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter, nominative singular)

• pāda-udakam: water of (washing) the feet
• pāda-udakam: Karma (Apposition/सम्बोधन-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): "पादस्य उदकम्"; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc sg)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• īritam: is called/has been declared
• īritam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īr (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; "उक्तम्/प्रकीर्तितम्"

• pādau: (the two) feet
• pādau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (masculine, nominative dual)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (masc, nom dual); सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• ādau: at first
• ādau: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative used adverbially): "in the beginning/at first"

• śubhadau: auspicious
• śubhadau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (masc, nom dual); विशेषण

• kṣālitau: washed
• kṣālitau: Kriya (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣāl (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; "क्षालितौ" = washed

• pīta-vāsasā: with a yellow cloth/garment
• pīta-vāsasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: "पीतं वासः"; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); करण (by means of)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pādodaka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the luminous Kāśī landscape, Viṣṇu (Pītavāsā) is shown washing auspicious feet at a small sacred ford; attendants hold a kalaśa; the water is highlighted as ‘pādodaka’ becoming a named tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Pādodaka-tīrtha
• Viṣṇu (Pītavāsā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely meritorious through divine contact—here, the washing of Viṣṇu’s feet sanctifies the place and gives it enduring sacred identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pādodaka-tīrtha in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse explains the tīrtha’s naming through the act of washing the divine feet; it implies reverence for pādodaka as sanctifying water.