Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विष्णुपादोदकं नित्यं शिरसा धार्यते न वा । पादोद्भवं च गंगोदं द्वादशाब्दफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

viṣṇupādodakaṃ nityaṃ śirasā dhāryate na vā | pādodbhavaṃ ca gaṃgodaṃ dvādaśābdaphalapradam

Translation

Adakah engkau setiap hari menjunjung di atas kepala air basuhan kaki Viṣṇu—atau tidak? Air Gaṅgā yang terpancar dari kaki Tuhan itu menganugerahkan buah pahala dua belas tahun.

Word by Word

• विष्णुपादोदकम्: water from Viṣṇu’s feet
• विष्णुपादोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः पादस्य उदकम्)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• शिरसा: with (one’s) head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• धार्यते: is to be borne/held
• धार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पादोद्भवम्: arisen from the foot
• पादोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (पादात् उद्भवम्)

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

• गंगोदकम्: water of the Gaṅgā
• गंगोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः उदकम्)

• द्वादशाब्दफलप्रदम्: granting the fruit of twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः (द्वादश-अब्द-फल-प्रदम् = द्वादशवर्षफलप्रदम्)

Speaker

Gālava (deduced from nearby verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupādodaka (Gaṅgā-jala)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage holds a small vessel of Gaṅgā-jala, indicating the act of placing it upon the head; a luminous stream descends symbolically from Viṣṇu’s feet in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for sacred water connected to Viṣṇu—especially Gaṅgā-jala—functions as a potent carrier of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is invoked as a divine tīrtha arising from Viṣṇu’s feet, emphasizing her pan-Indian sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily honoring/placing Viṣṇu-pādodaka (caraṇāmṛta) and Gaṅgā water upon one’s head is recommended.