Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वृषोत्सर्गं तु यस्तत्र कुर्याद्वै भावितात्मवान् । यावंति वृषरोमाणि तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते

Transliteration

vṛṣotsargaṃ tu yastatra kuryādvai bhāvitātmavān | yāvaṃti vṛṣaromāṇi tāvatsvarge mahīyate

Translation

Wer jedoch, mit geläuterter und hingebungsvoller Seele, dort das Ritual des vṛṣotsarga (Freilassen eines Stieres) vollzieht, wird im Himmel so lange geehrt, wie viele Haare jener Stier hat.

Word by Word

• वृषोत्सर्गम्: release/gifting of a bull
• वृषोत्सर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य उत्सर्गः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक

• भावितात्मवान्: one of purified/controlled mind
• भावितात्मवान्: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित-आत्मन्-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त+तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'भावित' = कृ (भावयति) धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) + आत्मन्; तत्पुरुषः; 'वत्' तद्धित (possessive)

• यावन्ति: as many as
• यावन्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (correlative)

• वृषरोमाणि: bull-hairs (hairs of the bull)
• वृषरोमाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य रोमाणि)

• तावत्: so many/that many
• तावत्: Pramana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; परिमाणवाचक (correlative)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Daśāśvamedha-pradeśa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at Prabhāsa ceremonially releases a decorated bull: garlands, cloth, and a copper plate inscription; priests bless with mantras; the bull walks toward open sacred grounds, while celestial figures shower flowers indicating svarga honor.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣotsarga (bull-release rite)
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charitable ritual acts done in a sacred kṣetra, when performed with a refined mind, are said to multiply in merit and yield exalted afterlife fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Daśāśvamedha/Aśvamedhika sacred area within Prabhāsa-kṣetra where vṛṣotsarga is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vṛṣotsarga—ceremonially releasing (or gifting) a bull as a dhārmic rite, performed at the tīrtha.