PADODAK TEERTH
Lord Shiva deputed sixty four Yoginis to create disturbance in Kashi and when they did not return, he sent Lord Surya, then Lord Brahma and Lord Vinayak. When these deities did not return, Lord Shiva sent Lord Vishnu to Kashi to accomplish the same mission. (For details, kindly refer Divodaseshwar), Lord Vishnu was very happy with getting such divine instructions from Lord Shiva. He prayed to Lord Shiva and accompanied by Goddess Mahalakshmi, he travelled in his vehicle Garuda and reached Kashi. For going to Kashi one need not wait for a proper muhurat because anytime is good time for this pious task.
On reaching Kashi, Lord Vishnu saw the entire kshetra with wide eyes. He then went to a place where the Holy River Varuna joins River Ganga and washed his hands and feet.
The place where Lord Vishnu’s Charan (feet referred to with respect) were washed came to be known as PADODAK TEERTH. According to Skanda Puran, Kashi Khand, Chapter 58, devotees who bathe in Padodak Teerth will be cleansed of all their sins accumulated over 7 births, including the present life.
A devotee who performs Shraaddh (rituals for his forefathers), does a service for twentyone generations of his forefathers. Performing Shraaddh at Padodak Teerth in Kashi is equivalent to performing Shraaddh at Gaya. A devotee who takes a holy dip in Padodak Teerth, consumes Padodak water and gives Padodak water to any other person will be blessed by Lord Vishnu and he will not encounter Hell. A person who consumes water from Padodak Teerth which is Charan Amrit (nectar from the Lotus Feet of Lord Vishnu) need not have fear of rebirth in this world.
Devotees are advised by Kashi Khand to take Padodak Teerth in Shankh (sea conch) and perform abhishek of Lord and consume such water. Such devotees will not have any fear of apamrityu (untimely death). Further, they will always be remembered for their good actions.
Please watch our YouTube video on this subject in the following link :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIu14DKGbEs&t=52s
Presently Padodak Teerth is not existent in the form of any river/rivulet or pond. However, there is a Padodak Koop (Well) situated inside the temple premises of Trilochaneshwar. At some point the well was constructed and one hand pump has been installed there. The water is very pure and clean. Here one point needs to be mentioned. The events mentioned in Kashi Khand date back to several Yugs (aeons) before. Probably at that time, Varuna river might have been very wide and must have covered a vast area. Presently, the river is very narrow and quite away from Trilochaneshwar. It looks like a streamlet at present.
Devotees visiting Trilochaneshwar have high divine respect for water from Padodak Koop and on Akshaya Tritheeya day, people visit this temple in huge numbers and consume water from Padodak Koop as Charan Amrit.
