Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

विप्णुपादोदके तीर्थे वारिकार्यं करोति यः । व्यतीपातेन नियतं भूयः सांसारिकी गतिः

Transliteration

vipṇupādodake tīrthe vārikāryaṃ karoti yaḥ | vyatīpātena niyataṃ bhūyaḥ sāṃsārikī gatiḥ

Translation

ವಿಷ್ಣುಪಾದೋದಕ ತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರು ಜಲತರ್ಪಣಾದಿ ವಾರಿಕಾರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮಾಡುವನೋ, ಅದು ಅಶುಭ ವ್ಯತೀಪಾತಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ, ಅವನು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಸಂಸಾರಗತಿಗೆ ಬೀಳುವನು.

Word by Word

• विष्णुपादोदके: in the water of Viṣṇu’s feet (pādodaka)
• विष्णुपादोदके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः पादस्य उदकम्)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• वारिकार्यम्: a water-rite / water-offering act
• वारिकार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वारिणा/वारिसम्बन्धि कार्यम्)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• व्यतीपातेन: by/through the (inauspicious) vyatīpāta (astral conjunction)
• व्यतीपातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यतीपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• नियतं: certainly, inevitably
• नियतं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘certainly/inevitably’)

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थे)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सांसारिकी: worldly, pertaining to saṃsāra
• सांसारिकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांसारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘गतिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गतिः: course, destiny, state
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupādodaka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Kāśī tīrtha pours water offerings (tarpaṇa) into a small shrine-basin marked by Viṣṇu’s footprints; the sky shows ominous astral conjunctions indicating Vyatīpāta, while priests gesture to stop and redirect the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu-pādodaka tīrtha
• Vyatīpāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma stresses not only the act but its proper timing and propriety; ritual performed wrongly can negate or reverse spiritual benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇu-pādodaka tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing vāri-kārya (water rites such as tarpaṇa/udaka offerings) with caution regarding the Vyatīpāta period.