Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अन्यो विष्णुपदीतोये स्नात्वा विष्णुपदं स्पृशेत् । तावुभावपि निर्दिष्टौ समौ पुरुषसत्तमौ

Transliteration

anyo viṣṇupadītoye snātvā viṣṇupadaṃ spṛśet | tāvubhāvapi nirdiṣṭau samau puruṣasattamau

Translation

اور دوسرا وہ ہے جو وِشنوپدی کے مقدّس جل میں اسنان کر کے وِشنو کے قدم کے نشان کو چھو لے؛ یہ دونوں برابر قرار دیے گئے ہیں—انسانوں میں برتر۔

Word by Word

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• viṣṇupadītoye: in the water of Viṣṇupadī
• viṣṇupadītoye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇupadī-toya (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णुपदी + तोय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• viṣṇupadam: Viṣṇu’s footprint/abode
• viṣṇupadam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu-pada (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + पद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• spṛśet: should touch
• spṛśet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: inclusion/emphasis)

• nirdiṣṭau: declared, specified
• nirdiṣṭau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√diś (दिश् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying tau/ubhau)

• samau: equal
• samau: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन; विशेषणम्

• puruṣasattamau: the two best of men
• puruṣasattamau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa-sattama (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī / Viṣṇupada

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee emerges from the tīrtha, dripping water, and reverently touches a stone slab bearing Viṣṇu’s footprint; nearby an ascetic with fires symbolizes the equal tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī
• Viṣṇupada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing combined with reverent contact (darśana/sparśa) of a sanctified emblem is equated with formidable ascetic achievement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupadī-tīrtha and Viṣṇupada (the sacred ‘Footprint/Station of Viṣṇu’).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in Viṣṇupadī and sparśa (touching) of Viṣṇupada as a devotional act.