Shloka 176

The Manifestation of Viṣṇu’s Footprints: Vāmana–Trivikrama, Bāṣkali’s Subjugation, and the Rise of Viṣṇupadī

Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

ध्रुवस्थानं सूर्यलोकं प्लाव्य तं यज्ञपर्वतम् । प्रविष्टा पुष्करं धारा धौत्वा विष्णुपदानि सा

Transliteration

dhruvasthānaṃ sūryalokaṃ plāvya taṃ yajñaparvatam | praviṣṭā puṣkaraṃ dhārā dhautvā viṣṇupadāni sā

Translation

那道水流漫过德鲁瓦之位与太阳界，又淹没祭祀之山，洗净毗湿奴的足迹之后，便流入普什迦罗。

Word by Word

• ध्रुवस्थानम्: Dhruva’s station (pole region)
• ध्रुवस्थानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक); ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सूर्यलोकम्: the sun-world
• सूर्यलोकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य-लोक (प्रातिपदिक); सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्लाव्य: having flooded
• प्लाव्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु (धातु) [णिच् causative: प्लावय-]
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerund/Absolutive in -ya), causative sense, अव्ययभाव

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञपर्वतम्: the sacrificial mountain
• यज्ञपर्वतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition to तम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक); यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रविष्टा: entered
• प्रविष्टा: Kriya (क्रिया; predicate of धारा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle used in active sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धारा इति विशेष्य

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara (lake/region)
• पुष्करम्: Karma/Goal (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• धारा: the stream/current
• धारा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• धौत्वा: having washed
• धौत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव्/धौ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• विष्णुपदानि: Viṣṇu’s feet/footprints
• विष्णुपदानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु-पद (प्रातिपदिक); विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सा: she/that (stream)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to धारा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); धारा इति पुनरुक्त-निर्देश

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Adhyaya 30 narrative frame).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ध्रुवस्थानं = ध्रुव + स्थानम्; विष्णुपदानि = विष्णु + पदानि; no further required sandhi splits.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Surya
• Yajñaparvata
• Pushkara
• Vishnu

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the geography of sacred Tirthas?

It presents a mythic-sacred map in which a divine stream traverses cosmic locales (Dhruva’s station, Sūrya’s realm) and then reaches an earthly/ritual tīrtha—Puṣkara—linking cosmology with pilgrimage geography.

How does this verse emphasize the path of Bhakti?

By highlighting “Viṣṇu’s footprints” as purifying and worthy of being washed by a sacred current, it centers devotion on Viṣṇu’s presence and sanctifying contact, a typical Vaishnava bhakti motif.

What is the ethical lesson from this dialogue?

Even exalted powers (a sacred stream moving through cosmic regions) are portrayed as oriented toward reverence and purification at the Lord’s signs (Viṣṇu-pada), suggesting humility, sanctity, and the prioritizing of the divine over mere grandeur.