Shloka 16

Praise of Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-release), Worthy Dāna, and the Procedure for Kṣayāha & Ūrdhva-daihika Rites

Devanagari script

यज्ञानां चैव सर्वेषां वृषयज्ञस्तथोत्तमः / तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वृषयज्ञं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

yajñānāṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ vṛṣayajñastathottamaḥ / tasmātsarvaprayatnena vṛṣayajñaṃ samācaret

Translation

Unter allen Opfern ist das Vṛṣa-yajña (das Opfer des Dharma, der Rechtschaffenheit) wahrlich das höchste; darum soll man es mit aller Anstrengung ausüben und aufrechterhalten.

Word by Word

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यज्ञानाम्)

• वृषयज्ञः: the bull-sacrifice (rite of donating/releasing a bull)
• वृषयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘वृषसम्बन्धी यज्ञः’ इति तत्पुरुषसमासः

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (thus/also)

• उत्तमः: best/supreme
• उत्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वृषयज्ञः)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; ‘सर्वः प्रयत्नः’ इति कर्मधारयसमासः

• वृषयज्ञम्: the bull-sacrifice
• वृषयज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः

• समाचरेत्: should perform/practice
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vṛṣa-yajña is the highest sacrifice; one should pursue it with full effort.

Vedantic Theme: Primacy of dharma as yajña (sacrifice-as-righteousness); karma purified by right intention and steadfast practice.

Application: Treat righteous conduct and its prescribed observances (including vṛṣotsarga where relevant) as a central lifelong discipline; allocate resources and planning to fulfill it properly.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.14.15 (vṛṣotsarga yields unmatched gati); Garuda Purana 2.14.17-19 (transition into śrāddha/ūrdhva-daehika timing and method)

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣa-yajña
• Yajña
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the importance of Vṛṣa-yajña in the Garuda Purana?

This verse declares Vṛṣa-yajña—understood as Dharma lived as a continual offering—to be the सर्वोत्तम (highest) among all yajñas, making righteous conduct the most powerful spiritual practice.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

In the Preta Kanda context, the teaching implies that beyond external rites, the soul’s post-death welfare is strongly supported by accumulated merit from sustained Dharma, which is praised here as the supreme “sacrifice.”

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat daily ethical living—truthfulness, compassion, self-restraint, and duty—as your primary yajña, and support rituals with sincere conduct rather than replacing conduct with ritual alone.