Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

सत्यलोकगतो विष्णोश्चरणः परमेष्ठिना । कमण्डलुगतेनैव अंभसा चावनेनिजे

Transliteration

satyalokagato viṣṇoścaraṇaḥ parameṣṭhinā | kamaṇḍalugatenaiva aṃbhasā cāvanenije

Translation

విష్ణువు పాదం సత్యలోకానికి చేరింది; అప్పుడు పరమేష్ఠి బ్రహ్మ తన కమండలులోని జలంతో ఆ పాదాన్ని కడిగాడు।

Word by Word

• सत्यलोकगतः: gone to Satyaloka
• सत्यलोकगतः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यलोक (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास: ‘सत्यलोके गतः’; कृदन्त (क्त, PPP) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; चरणः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• चरणः: the foot
• चरणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परमेष्ठिना: by Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• परमेष्ठिना: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• कमण्डलुगतेन: with water contained in the water-pot
• कमण्डलुगतेन: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास: ‘कमण्डलौ गतः’ → ‘कमण्डलुगत’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; अंभसा इत्यस्य विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अंभसा: with water
• अंभसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

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

• अवनेनिजे: washed (it)
• अवनेनिजे: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + निञ्ज्/निज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa per Māheśvara-khaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇu-pādodaka (Gaṅgā-bīja motif)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Satyaloka, Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin) stands with a kamaṇḍalu, reverently pouring water over Viṣṇu’s upraised foot; the water streams downward as a luminous current, hinting at Gaṅgā’s future descent.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā (Parameṣṭhin)
• Satyaloka
• Kamaṇḍalu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred water gains sanctity through contact with the Divine (pādodaka), becoming a purifier for worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the celestial source of Gaṅgā (Satyaloka/Viṣṇu’s foot), foundational to later earthly tīrthas formed by Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāda-avana (washing the Lord’s feet) and the sanctifying concept of pādodaka.