Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अन्यो विष्णुपदीतोये स्नात्वा विष्णुपदं स्पृशेत् । तावुभावपि निर्दिष्टौ समौ पुरुषसत्तमौ

Transliteration

anyo viṣṇupadītoye snātvā viṣṇupadaṃ spṛśet | tāvubhāvapi nirdiṣṭau samau puruṣasattamau

Translation

Un autre, après s’être baigné dans les eaux de Viṣṇupadī, touche l’Empreinte du Pied de Viṣṇu; ces deux-là sont déclarés égaux, tous deux suprêmes parmi les hommes.

Word by Word

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• viṣṇupadītoye: in the water of Viṣṇupadī
• viṣṇupadītoye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇupadī-toya (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णुपदी + तोय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• viṣṇupadam: Viṣṇu’s footprint/abode
• viṣṇupadam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu-pada (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + पद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• spṛśet: should touch
• spṛśet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: inclusion/emphasis)

• nirdiṣṭau: declared, specified
• nirdiṣṭau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√diś (दिश् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying tau/ubhau)

• samau: equal
• samau: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन; विशेषणम्

• puruṣasattamau: the two best of men
• puruṣasattamau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa-sattama (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī / Viṣṇupada

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee emerges from the tīrtha, dripping water, and reverently touches a stone slab bearing Viṣṇu’s footprint; nearby an ascetic with fires symbolizes the equal tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī
• Viṣṇupada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing combined with reverent contact (darśana/sparśa) of a sanctified emblem is equated with formidable ascetic achievement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupadī-tīrtha and Viṣṇupada (the sacred ‘Footprint/Station of Viṣṇu’).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in Viṣṇupadī and sparśa (touching) of Viṣṇupada as a devotional act.