Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

कार्त्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे वृषोत्सर्गं करोति यः । पुष्करेषु सुपुण्येषु सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

kārttikyāṃ kṛttikāyoge vṛṣotsargaṃ karoti yaḥ | puṣkareṣu supuṇyeṣu so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Whoever, in the month of Kārttika when the Kṛttikā conjunction prevails, performs vṛṣotsarga (the rite of releasing a bull) at the supremely meritorious Puṣkaras, obtains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice.

Word by Word

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārttikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; कालवाचक (in Kārttikī/Kārttika month/season)

• कृत्तिकायोगे: at the Kṛttikā conjunction
• कृत्तिकायोगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛttikā + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; 'कृत्तिका-योग' (conjunction with Kṛttikā asterism)

• वृषोत्सर्गम्: the bull-release (rite)
• वृषोत्सर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa + utsarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; 'वृष-उत्सर्ग' (release/donation of a bull)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• पुष्करेषु: at Puṣkara (holy places)
• पुष्करेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन; देशवाचक (at Puṣkara(s))

• सुपुण्येषु: very holy
• सुपुण्येषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन; 'सु-पुण्य' = अत्यन्तपुण्य (very holy)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; 'अश्वमेधस्य फलम्'

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (लभ्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (Puṣkaras)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Puṣkara in Kārttika, pilgrims and priests perform vṛṣotsarga: a decorated bull is honored with garlands and tilaka, then ceremonially released near the tīrtha; lamps and autumnal clarity fill the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Kārttika
• Kṛttikā
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed and properly placed dharmic gifting (vṛṣotsarga) becomes extraordinarily potent, equaling famed Vedic sacrifices in merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara—described as “supremely meritorious”—is the tīrtha where the rite yields Aśvamedha-like fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vṛṣotsarga: dedicating/releasing a bull as a religious act, to be done at Puṣkara during Kārttika under Kṛttikā-yoga.