Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । वृषोत्सर्गं करिष्यंति वैशाख्यां चैव कार्तिके । द्वारकायां पिशाचत्वं मुक्त्वा यांति पितामहाः

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | vṛṣotsargaṃ kariṣyaṃti vaiśākhyāṃ caiva kārtike | dvārakāyāṃ piśācatvaṃ muktvā yāṃti pitāmahāḥ

Translation

Prahlāda said: “In Vaiśākha and also in Kārttika they will perform vṛṣotsarga, the rite of releasing a bull as an act of dharma. In Dvārakā the forefathers are freed from the state of a piśāca and attain their onward, auspicious course.”

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वृषोत्सर्गम्: the rite of releasing a bull
• वृषोत्सर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वृषस्य उत्सर्गः (bull-release rite)

• करिष्यन्ति: will do/perform
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• वैशाख्याम्: in Vaiśākha
• वैशाख्याम्: Adhikarana (Time-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशाखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मास-नाम (in the month of Vaiśākha)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

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

• कार्तिके: in Kārttika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana (Time-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मास-नाम (in Kārttika)

• द्वारकायाम्: in Dvārakā
• द्वारकायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पिशाचत्वम्: state of being a piśāca (ghoulhood)
• पिशाचत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व)

• मुक्त्वा: having given up
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having abandoned/released’

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• पितामहाः: forefathers/ancestors
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Daityendra (lord of Daityas) implied by immediate context of address in 42.3; specific name not given here

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda speaks to an assembly; in the background, a devotee ceremonially releases a decorated bull near Dvārakā’s sacred precincts, while shadowy pitṛs are shown being lifted from a dark piśāca-like state into light.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Dvārakā
• Vaiśākha
• Kārttika
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dvārakā is portrayed as a powerful place for ancestral upliftment, where prescribed gifts and vows transform suffering into liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as a pitṛ-tīrtha where ancestral afflictions are removed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vṛṣotsarga (releasing/donating a bull), especially in the months of Vaiśākha and Kārttika.