FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.17.1

श्रीशुक उवाच तत्र भगवत: साक्षाद्यज्ञलिङ्गस्य विष्णोर्विक्रमतो वामपादाङ्गुष्ठनखनिर्भिन्नोर्ध्वाण्डकटाहविवरेणान्त:प्रविष्टा या बाह्यजलधारा तच्चरणपङ्कजावनेजनारुणकिञ्जल्कोपरञ्जिताखिलजगदघमलापहोपस्पर्शनामला साक्षाद्भ‍गवत्पदीत्यनुपलक्षितवचोऽभिधीयमानातिमहता कालेन युगसहस्रोपलक्षणेन दिवो मूर्धन्यवततार यत्तद्विष्णुपदमाहु: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
tatra bhagavataḥ sākṣād yajña-liṅgasya viṣṇor vikramato vāma-pādāṅguṣṭha-nakha-nirbhinnordhvāṇḍa-kaṭāha-vivareṇāntaḥ-praviṣṭā yā bāhya-jala-dhārā tac-caraṇa-paṅkajāvanejanāruṇa-kiñjalkoparañjitākhila-jagad-agha-malāpahopasparśanāmalā sākṣād bhagavat-padīty anupalakṣita-vaco ’bhidhīyamānāti-mahatā kālena yuga-sahasropalakṣaṇena divo mūrdhany avatatāra yat tad viṣṇu-padam āhuḥ.
[tatra bhagavatah saakshaad yajna-lingasya vishnor vikramato vaama-paadaangushtha-nakha-nirbhinnordhvaanda-kataaha-vivarenaantah-pravishtaa yaa baahya-jala-dhaaraa tach-charana-pankajaavanejanaaruna-kinjalkoparanjitaakhila-jagad-agha-malaapahopasparshanaamalaa saakshaad bhagavat-padeety anupalakshita-vacho ’bhidheeyamaanaati-mahataa kaalena yuga-sahasropalakshanena divo moordhany avatataara yat tad vishnu-padam aahuh.]
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said tatra — at that time bhagavataḥ — of the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead sākṣāt — directly yajña-liṅgasya — the enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu vikramataḥ — while taking His second step vāma-pāda — of His left leg aṅguṣṭha — of the big toe nakha — by the nail nirbhinna — pierced ūrdhva — upper aṇḍa-kaṭāha — the covering of the universe (consisting of seven layers — earth, water, fire, etc.) vivareṇa — through the hole antaḥ-praviṣṭā — having entered the universe yā — which bāhya-jala-dhārā — the flow of water from the Causal Ocean outside the universe tat — of Him caraṇa-paṅkaja — of the lotus feet avanejana — by the washing aruṇa-kiñjalka — by reddish powder uparañjitā — being colored akhila-jagat — of the whole world agha-mala — the sinful activities apahā — destroys upasparśana — the touching of which amalā — completely pure sākṣāt — directly bhagavat-padī — emanating from the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead iti — thus anupalakṣita — described vacaḥ — by the name abhidhīyamānā — being called ati-mahatā kālena — after a long time yuga-sahasra-upalakṣaṇena — consisting of one thousand millenniums divaḥ — of the sky mūrdhani — on the head (Dhruvaloka) avatatāra — descended yat — which tat — that viṣṇu-padam — the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu āhuḥ — they call.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
tatra bhagavataḥ sākṣād yajña-liṅgasya viṣṇor vikramato vāma-pādāṅguṣṭha-nakha-nirbhinnordhvāṇḍa-kaṭāha-vivareṇāntaḥ-praviṣṭā yā bāhya-jala-dhārā tac-caraṇa-paṅkajāvanejanāruṇa-kiñjalkoparañjitākhila-jagad-agha-malāpahopasparśanāmalā sākṣād bhagavat-padīty anupalakṣita-vaco ’bhidhīyamānāti-mahatā kālena yuga-sahasropalakṣaṇena divo mūrdhany avatatāra yat tad viṣṇu-padam āhuḥ.
tatra
at that time
bhagavataḥ
of the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
sākṣāt
directly
yajña-liṅgasya
the enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices
viṣṇoḥ
of Lord Viṣṇu
vikramataḥ
while taking His second step
vāma-pāda
of His left leg
aṅguṣṭha
of the big toe
nakha
by the nail
nirbhinna
pierced
ūrdhva
upper
aṇḍa-kaṭāha
the covering of the universe (consisting of seven layers — earth, water, fire, etc.)
vivareṇa
through the hole
antaḥ-praviṣṭā
having entered the universe
yā
which
bāhya-jala-dhārā
the flow of water from the Causal Ocean outside the universe
tat
of Him
caraṇa-paṅkaja
of the lotus feet
avanejana
by the washing
aruṇa-kiñjalka
by reddish powder
uparañjitā
being colored
akhila-jagat
of the whole world
agha-mala
the sinful activities
apahā
destroys
upasparśana
the touching of which
amalā
completely pure
sākṣāt
directly
bhagavat-padī
emanating from the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
iti
thus
anupalakṣita
described
vacaḥ
by the name
abhidhīyamānā
being called
ati-mahatā kālena
after a long time
yuga-sahasra-upalakṣaṇena
consisting of one thousand millenniums
divaḥ
of the sky
mūrdhani
on the head (Dhruvaloka)
avatatāra
descended
yat
which
tat
that
viṣṇu-padam
the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu
āhuḥ
they call.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, Lord Viṣṇu, the enjoyer of all sacrifices, appeared as Vāmanadeva in the sacrificial arena of Bali Mahārāja. Then He extended His left foot to the end of the universe and pierced a hole in its covering with the nail of His big toe. Through the hole, the pure water of the Causal Ocean entered this universe as the Ganges River. Having washed the lotus feet of the Lord, which are covered with reddish powder, the water of the Ganges acquired a very beautiful pink color. Every living being can immediately purify his mind of material contamination by touching the transcendental water of the Ganges, yet its waters remain ever pure. Because the Ganges directly touches the lotus feet of the Lord before descending within this universe, she is known as Viṣṇupadī. Later she received other names like Jāhnavī and Bhāgīrathī. After one thousand millenniums, the water of the Ganges descended to Dhruvaloka, the topmost planet in this universe. Therefore all learned sages and scholars proclaim Dhruvaloka to be Viṣṇupada [“situated on Lord Viṣṇu’s lotus feet”].

In this verse, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the glories of the Ganges River. The water of the Ganges is called patita-pāvanī, the deliverer of all sinful living beings. It is a proven fact that a person who regularly bathes in the Ganges is purified both externally and internally. Externally his body becomes immune to all kinds of disease, and internally he gradually develops a devotional attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Throughout India, many thousands of people live on the banks of the Ganges, and by regularly bathing in her waters, they are undoubtedly being purified both spiritually and materially. Many sages, including Śaṅkarācārya, have composed prayers in praise of the Ganges, and the land of India itself has become glorious because such rivers as the Ganges, Yamunā, Godāvarī, Kāverī, Kṛṣṇā and Narmadā flow there. Anyone living on the land adjacent to these rivers is naturally advanced in spiritual consciousness. Śrīla Madhvācārya says:

vārāhe vāma-pādaṁ tu tad-anyeṣu tu dakṣiṇam pādaṁ kalpeṣu bhagavān ujjahāra trivikramaḥ

Standing on His right foot and extending His left to the edge of the universe, Lord Vāmana became known as Trivikrama, the incarnation who performed three heroic deeds.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
When the Lord appeared as Vāmana and stepped over the earth with his right foot, the water which entered from outside, by piercing the covering of the universe with the big toe of his left foot, tinted red from the color of Lord’s feet and the kuṁkuma coming from the water that washed his lotus feet, which purifies by its touch all sins of the world but remains pure, not known by any other name, was called Bhagavat-padī, “water coming from the foot of the Lord.” After a long time, a thousand yugas, the river descended to Dhruva-loka, which then became known as Viṣṇu-pada, the abode of Viṣṇu. The Seventeenth Chapter describes the descent of Gaṅgā to earth, the happiness of Bhauma-svarga and the service of Saṅkarṣaṇa and Rudra. After describing the splendor of the mountains surrounding Sumeru like filaments, Śuka now describes the very long stream of the Gaṅgā, the crest jewel of all splendors, by relating how Gaṅgā made her appearance. At the time of Vāmana avatāra (tatra), by stepping over the earth with his right foot (vikramataḥ) and from throwing his left foot in the air, he cause all places up to the top of the universe to tremble, up to the layer of prakṛti (where the guṇas are pacified), as related by Brahmā: trisāmyasadanād urukampayānam. (SB 2.7.4) Thus the spiritual steam of water of the Kāraṇa Ocean, outside of the eight layers of the universe, descended to Dhruva-loka (divaḥ mūrdhani). The water was colored red from the kuṁkuma and the red color of the Lord’s feet, arising from the water used to wash the Lord’s feet. The touch of this water destroys the contamination of sin, but the water remains free of contamination (amalā). It was called by the name Bhagavatpadī, because at that time it was not known by other names (vaco anupalakṣaṇam) such as Bhāgīrathī or Jāhnavī. It then fell on Dhruva-loka which (yat) became known as Viṣṇu-pada
The Ganges is glorified as the river that touched Lord Viṣṇu's feet. The lesson is not geography but a principle: whatever comes into direct contact with the Lord becomes purifying for everyone else. Find such carriers of the Lord's touch — sacred sound, prasāda, devoted association — and let them wash over you.
Reflection Questions
  • What in my daily life functions as a 'Ganges' — something whose source is the Lord and whose contact purifies me?
  • When I visit holy places or take sacred water, do I treat it as ritual, or do I consciously open my heart to its purifying effect?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 17