Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विष्णुपादोदके तीर्थे विष्णुपादोदकं पिबेत् । यदि तत्सुधया किं नु बहुकालीनयातया

Transliteration

viṣṇupādodake tīrthe viṣṇupādodakaṃ pibet | yadi tatsudhayā kiṃ nu bahukālīnayātayā

Translation

విష్ణు-పాదోదక తీర్థంలో విష్ణువు పాదోదకాన్ని పానము చేయాలి; అది స్వయంగా సుధా (అమృతం) అయితే, చాలా కాలం నిల్వచేసిన ‘అమృతం’ ఎందుకు?

Word by Word

• विष्णु-पाद-उदके: in Viṣṇu’s foot-water
• विष्णु-पाद-उदके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः

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

• विष्णु-पाद-उदकम्: Viṣṇu’s foot-water
• विष्णु-पाद-उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-सम्बन्ध (conditional conjunction)

• तत्: with that
• तत्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘by that/with that’ (सुधया सह संबन्धः)

• सुधया: with nectar
• सुधया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक सर्वनाम

• नु: indeed/then
• नु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/अनुनय-निपात (interrogative/emphatic particle)

• बहु-कालीनया: with long-lasting
• बहु-कालीनया: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + कालीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘बहुकालीन’ = long-lasting)

• आतया: staleness/oldness
• आतया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘staleness/oldness’ (यातया इति पाठभेदे ‘यात’ PPP-प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-Pādodaka Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Kāśī tīrtha, a devotee holds a small cup of pādodaka glowing like nectar; in the background, a faint vignette of the ocean-churning amṛta myth appears as a ‘distant, stale’ contrast.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupādodaka-tīrtha
• Amṛta (nectar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace embodied in sacred water is portrayed as superior to worldly notions of immortality; devotion accesses ‘nectar’ directly through dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupādodaka-tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Drinking Viṣṇu-pādodaka at the tīrtha.