SB 5.17.1

Devanāgarī

श्रीशुक उवाच तत्र भगवत: साक्षाद्यज्ञलिङ्गस्य विष्णोर्विक्रमतो वामपादाङ्गुष्ठनखनिर्भिन्नोर्ध्वाण्डकटाहविवरेणान्त:प्रविष्टा या बाह्यजलधारा तच्चरणपङ्कजावनेजनारुणकिञ्जल्कोपरञ्जिताखिलजगदघमलापहोपस्पर्शनामला साक्षाद्भ‍गवत्पदीत्यनुपलक्षितवचोऽभिधीयमानातिमहता कालेन युगसहस्रोपलक्षणेन दिवो मूर्धन्यवततार यत्तद्विष्णुपदमाहु: ॥ १ ॥

Text

śrī-śuka uvāca 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.

Synonyms

śrī-śukaḥuvāca—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-mahatākālena—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.

Translation

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”].

Purport