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

وشنو پادودک کے تیرتھ میں وشنو کا پادودک پینا چاہیے؛ جب وہ خود ہی سُدھا (نیکٹر) ہے تو پھر مدتوں سے رکھا ہوا باسی ‘امرت’ کس کام کا؟

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.