Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

वृषोत्सर्गः कृतो यैस्तु तीर्थेस्मिन्वार्षभध्वजे । अश्वमेधपुरोडाशैः पितरस्तेन तर्पिताः

Transliteration

vṛṣotsargaḥ kṛto yaistu tīrthesminvārṣabhadhvaje | aśvamedhapuroḍāśaiḥ pitarastena tarpitāḥ

Translation

Ceux qui accomplissent le vṛṣotsarga, l’offrande par la libération d’un taureau, en ce tīrtha de Vṛṣabhadhvaja, satisfont ainsi leurs ancêtres comme par les gâteaux sacrificiels du Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• वृषोत्सर्गः: bull-release (vṛṣotsarga)
• वृषोत्सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष+उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः ‘release/gift of a bull’

• कृतः: performed
• कृतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘done/performed’

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — ‘by whom’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — emphasis/contrast ‘indeed/but’

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in the sacred ford/place’

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in this’

• वार्षभध्वजे: at Vārṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)
• वार्षभध्वजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्षभ+ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘at (the place) of Vārṣabha-dhvaja (Śiva)’

• अश्वमेधपुरोडाशैः: with Aśvamedha puroḍāśa offerings
• अश्वमेधपुरोडाशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध+पुरोडाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — ‘with puroḍāśa-offerings of the Aśvamedha’

• पितरः: ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘the ancestors’

• तेन: thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘by that/thereby’

• तर्पिताः: satisfied
• तर्पिताः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) → तर्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘satisfied’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛṣabhadhvaja-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a riverside Śaiva tīrtha, a decorated bull is ritually released; a Śiva emblem (bull-banner) appears on a staff/flag; the performer offers water-libations to pitṛs; a subtle vision shows ancestors receiving sacrificial cakes like in an Aśvamedha.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)
• Vṛṣotsarga
• Pitṛs
• Aśvamedha
• Puroḍāśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A focused act of dāna at a consecrated place can equal the merit of vast Vedic sacrifices, especially for Pitṛ propitiation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛṣabhadhvaja-tīrtha in Kāśī, associated with Śiva and powerful ancestor-rite results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vṛṣotsarga (donative release of a bull) at this tīrtha for exceptional Pitṛ-tarpaṇa fruit.