Vishnupada

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Vishnupad Temple Gaya

Vishnupada (विष्णुपद) is a Tirtha mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata, located on the banks of Beas River in Punjab. 2. Vishnupada is a mountain in Gaya. Author (Laxman Burdak) visited Gaya on 11.11.2010 and has provided content and images here.

Origin

Viṣṇupada literally means “the hill marked with footprints of Viṣṇu”.

Variants

• Vishnupada विष्णुपद (AS, p.865)
• Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद)
• Vishnupad (विष्णुपद)
• Vishnupadagiri विष्णुपदगिरि (AS, p.865)
• Visnupada

History

Tej Ram Sharma writes that Visnupada (विष्णुपद) is mentioned in (No. 20, L. 6) : Meharauli Posthumous Iron Pillar Inscription of Chandra.

We know from the inscription that a lofty standard of the divine Visnu was set up on the hill called Visnupada. ¹¹⁴ Literally meaning 'the hill marked with footprints of Visnu', Visnupada hill has been identified with that part of the Delhi Ridge on which the column stands. ¹¹⁵ But there is no mountain in Delhi and the inscription appears to have been brought there from the mount Visnupada. ¹¹⁶ On the evidence from the Epics, this Visnupada hill is not far from Kurukshetra and the Beas. ¹¹⁷

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114. No. 20, L. 6 :प्रान्शुर्विष्णुपदे गिरौभगवतो विष्णोर्ध्वज: स्थापित:।

115. Selections From Sanskrit Inscriptions by D. B. Diskalkar. Vol. I, Pt. II, p. 24 : Corpus Inscripionum Indicarum, Vol. III by John Faithful Fleet , p.' 140.

116. Geographical Data in the Early Puranas by M. R. Singh, p. 126.

117. Studies in Ancient Indian History and Culture by U. N. Roy. pp. 21-27, : Select Inscriptions by D. C. Sircar. p. 285, f.n.4, Cf. Mahabharata, III, 73, 8ff : also 103 ff.

   गत्वा हि श्रद्धया युक्त: कुरुक्षेत्रं कुरुद्वह: । ...ततो
   गच्छेत् धर्म विष्णो: स्थान मुत्तमम् etc.

Ibid. III. 138, 8 :

   ऎतद्विणुपदं नाम दृश्यते तीर्थमुत्तम् ।
   एषा नदी विपाशा च नदी परमपावनी ।।

Ramayana, II. 68, 18-19:

   ययुर्मध्येन वह्लिकान् (वाहीकान्) सुदामानञ्च पर्वतम् ।
   विष्णो: पदं प्रेषमाणा विपाशा चापि शाल्मलीम् ।।

In Mahabharata

Vishnupada (विष्णुपद) in Mahabharata (III.130.8)

Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 130 mentions Vishnupada (विष्णुपद) in Mahabharata (III.130.8).....O thou whose effulgence is like unto that of the sun, here is the sacred tirtha called Prabhasa, the favoured spot of Indra and which removeth all sins. Yonder is visible the region of Vishnupada. And here is the delightful and sacred river, Vipasha.

Various definitions

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—A place at the source of the river Gaṅgā.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद).—A lake in the Niṣadha hill; sacred to Pitṛs; the place where Dhruva is located.

1b) The path where Dharma, Dhruva and others take their stand above the seven sages; the region between the seven ṛṣis and Dhruva where live ascetics and yogis of a high order; the source of rain and the stay of the three worlds; from this proceeds the Gangā; issuing from the nail of the great toe of Viṣnu's left foot;1 the third division of the celestial region.2

1c) A mountain in Gayā; a hill where Dharmaratha performed a sacrifice.

2) Viṣṇupāda (विष्णुपाद).—The celestial regions where Dhruva holds the Bhagavatpadī on his head with intense devotion;1 sacred for Gangā.2

Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions

Viṣṇupada (विष्णुपद) is the name of a mountain mentioned in the Gupta inscription No. 20. The Gupta empire (r. 3rd-century CE), founded by Śrī Gupta, covered much of ancient India and embraced the Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. We know from the inscription that a lofty standard of the divine Viṣṇu was set up on the hill called Viṣṇupada.

Viṣṇupada literally means “the hill marked with footprints of Viṣṇu”. Viṣṇupada hill has been identified with that part of the Delhi Ridge on which the column stands. But there is no mountain in Delhi and the inscription appears to have been brought there from the mount Viṣṇupada. On the evidence from the Epics, this Viṣṇupada hill is not far from Kurukshetra and the Beas.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Viṣṇu-pada.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘cypher’. Note: viṣṇu-pada is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

Ref - https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/vishnupada

विष्णुपद

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है .....

1. विष्णुपद तीर्थ (AS, p.865): पंजाब में विपाशा नदी (= बियास) के तट पर स्थित एक प्राचीन तीर्थ स्थान था, जिसका उल्लेख हिन्दू धार्मि ग्रंथों 'रामायण' तथा 'महाभारत' में है- 'विष्णोःपदं प्रेक्षमाणा विपाशां चापि शाल्मलीम्, नदी वापीतटाकानि पल्वलानि सरांसि च।' (वाल्मीकि रामायण, अयोध्याकाण्ड 68,19) महाभारत, वनपर्व 130,8 में भी इसी स्थान का वर्णन है- 'एतद् विष्णुपदं नाम दृश्यते तीर्थमुत्त्मम्, एषा रम्या विपाशा च नदी परमपावनी।'

2. विष्णुपद पहाड़ी (AS, p.865): बिहार के प्रसिद्ध धार्मिक स्थल गया की पहाड़ी है। महाभारत, शांतिपर्व 29,35 में अंग के राजा बृहद्रथ द्वारा विष्णुपद पर्वत पर यज्ञ करवाए जाने का उल्लेख है- 'अंगस्य यजमानस्य तदा विष्णुपदे गिरौ।'

3. विष्णुपद (AS, p.865) एक ऐतिहासिक स्थान जिसका उल्लेख महरौली (दिल्ली) के लौह स्तंभ पर उत्कीर्ण संस्कृत अभिलेख में हुआ है, जहाँ मूलतः यह स्तंभ प्रतिष्ठित था- 'प्रांशुविष्णुपदे गिरौ भगवतो विष्णोर्ध्वज: स्थापितः।' कहा जाता है कि यह विष्णुपद, विपाशा नदी के तट पर स्थित विष्णुपद ही है। दिल्ली के चौहान नरेश अनंगपाल ने इस स्तंभ को विष्णुपद से लाकर दिल्ली में स्थापित किया था। (दे. जयचंद्र विद्यालंकार, उत्कीर्ण लेखांजलि,पृ. 15) कुछ विद्वानों के मत में इस स्तंभ का मूल स्थान विष्णुपदगिरि वास्तव में मथुरा के समीप गोवर्धन पर्वत है। उपरोक्त दोनों ही अभिज्ञान अभी तक प्रमाणित नहीं हो सके हैं। (दे. महरौली, दिल्ली)