Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

पादाग्रेणाथ संभिन्ने ब्रह्मांडे निर्मलं जलम् । अंगुष्ठाग्रेण संप्राप्तं क्रमेण धरणीतले

Transliteration

pādāgreṇātha saṃbhinne brahmāṃḍe nirmalaṃ jalam | aṃguṣṭhāgreṇa saṃprāptaṃ krameṇa dharaṇītale

Translation

ഭഗവാന്റെ പാദാഗ്രം കൊണ്ട് ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡം ഭേദിക്കപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ നിർമലജലം ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു; അവന്റെ അങ്കുഷ്ഠാഗ്രം വഴി അത് ക്രമേണ ധരണീതലത്തിലേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങി വന്നു।

Word by Word

• पादाग्रेण: with the tip of the foot
• पादाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; पादस्य अग्रेण = instrumental of means

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• संभिन्ने: having been split/opened
• संभिन्ने: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + भिद् (धातु) → संभिन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्माण्डे’ इति विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्माण्डे: in the cosmic egg (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• निर्मलम्: pure, spotless
• निर्मलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘जलम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अंगुष्ठाग्रेण: with the tip of the big toe
• अंगुष्ठाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंगुष्ठ + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; अंगुष्ठस्य अग्रेण

• संप्राप्तम्: reached, obtained
• संप्राप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘जलम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• क्रमेण: gradually, in sequence
• क्रमेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial instrumental): ‘क्रमेण’ = gradually/in due order

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; धरण्याः तलम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī (Gaṅgā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munisattamāḥ (best of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu’s cosmic foot pierces the brahmāṇḍa; a stream of immaculate water issues forth and begins its gradual descent toward earth.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Trivikrama)
• Brahmāṇḍa
• Sacred water (implied Gaṅgā/Divine stream)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy waters are framed as divine in origin; contact with them is therefore treated as purifying and spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupada-tīrtha, tied to Viṣṇu’s foot and the descent of sanctifying water to earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse explains the sacred origin of the purifying waters associated with the tirtha.