Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

पादोदकाख्यस्तत्रैव कूपः पापविनाशकः । प्राश्य तस्योदकं मर्त्यो न मर्त्यो जायते पुनः

Transliteration

pādodakākhyastatraiva kūpaḥ pāpavināśakaḥ | prāśya tasyodakaṃ martyo na martyo jāyate punaḥ

Translation

അവിടെയേ ‘പാദോദക’ എന്ന പാപനാശക കിണർ ഉണ്ട്. അതിലെ ജലം ആചമനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ വീണ്ടും മർത്ത്യജന്മം പ്രാപിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• पादोदकाख्यः: named ‘Pādodaka’
• पादोदकाख्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पादोदक (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (पादोदक-आख्यः = 'पादोदक' इति नाम यस्य)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पापविनाशकः: destroyer of sins
• पापविनाशकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य विनाशकः)

• प्राश्य: having drunk/sipped
• प्राश्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-अश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• तस्य: of it/of that (well)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• मर्त्यः: (as) mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (विधेय/प्रत्याख्यान)

• जायते: is born; becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pādodaka-kūpa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone-lined ancient well labeled ‘Pādodaka’; a pilgrim draws water with a small vessel and performs ācamanam; subtle aura/light rising from the well, indicating pāpa-vināśa and mokṣa promise.

Characters & Entities

• Pādodaka-kūpa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with consecrated tīrtha-water, taken with faith, is praised as a direct means to purification and release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pādodaka well (Pādodaka-kūpa) in the Triviṣṭapa region of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sip/drink the water of the Pādodaka well for pāpa-kṣaya and freedom from rebirth.