Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तीर्थस्नानार्थिनी चैव पतिपादोदकं पिबेत् । शंकरादपि वा विष्णोः पतिरेवाधि कः स्त्रियः

Transliteration

tīrthasnānārthinī caiva patipādodakaṃ pibet | śaṃkarādapi vā viṣṇoḥ patirevādhi kaḥ striyaḥ

Translation

ហើយបើនាងប្រាថ្នាបុណ្យនៃការងូតទឹកនៅទីរត្ថ (tīrtha) នាងគួរផឹកទឹកដែលលាងជើងស្វាមី; ព្រោះសម្រាប់ស្ត្រី ស្វាមីត្រូវបានគេចាត់ទុកថាធំជាងសង្ករ (Śaṅkara) ឬវិṣṇុ (Viṣṇu) ទៀតផង។

Word by Word

• तीर्थस्नानार्थिनी: a woman desiring pilgrimage-bath
• तीर्थस्नानार्थिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ङीप् (स्त्रीप्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः (tīrtha-snāna-arthinī = “one desiring bathing at a tīrtha”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• पतिपादोदकम्: water from (washing) the husband’s feet
• पतिपादोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pati-pāda-udaka = “water of the husband’s feet”)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (should drink)

• शंकरात्: than Śaṅkara
• शंकरात्: Apadana (Comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. ablative singular: “than Śaṅkara”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. genitive singular: “of Viṣṇu”)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nominative singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• अधिकः: superior
• अधिकः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nominative singular; predicate adjective)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• स्त्रियः: of a woman
• स्त्रियः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (fem. genitive singular: “of a woman”)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice; didactic instruction in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pati-pādodaka (domestic tīrtha substitute)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reverential act: wife receives a small vessel of water used to wash husband’s feet; the scene is framed like a miniature tīrtha ritual, with a sanctified aura around the household.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse elevates household devotion as a potent spiritual path, equating service to the spouse with sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse speaks generally of tīrtha-snāna merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Drinking the water from washing the husband’s feet is presented as equivalent to tīrtha-bathing merit.