Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोपि गयां व्रजेत् । यजेत वाऽश्वमेधेन नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत्

Transliteration

eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyekopi gayāṃ vrajet | yajeta vā'śvamedhena nīlaṃ vā vṛṣamutsṛjet

Translation

Il convient de désirer de nombreux fils : car si ne fût-ce qu’un seul d’entre eux se rend à Gayā ; ou s’il accomplit un Aśvamedha ; ou s’il relâche un taureau bleu en don sacré.

Word by Word

• एष्टव्याः: should be desired/sought
• एष्टव्याः: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्/यज् (धातु; ‘इष्ट’ यागार्थ) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (should be sought/desired)

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (emphatic particle)

• गयाम्: to Gayā
• गयाम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; देशनाम

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यजेत: should perform sacrifice
• यजेत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• अश्वमेधेन: by/with the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/करणे

• नीलम्: black/blue
• नीलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• वृषम्: bull
• वृषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्सृजेत्: should release/let loose
• उत्सृजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted son at Gayā performing piṇḍa-dāna on the riverbank, with priests guiding; nearby a symbolic Aśvamedha horse and a blue bull being released—three supreme acts juxtaposed as dharma-options.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Aśvamedha
• Vṛṣa (bull)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single dharmic son who undertakes high-merit acts—pilgrimage to Gayā, great sacrifice, or sacred gifting—can fulfill profound religious obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly praised as a destination whose pilgrimage is considered exceptionally meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to Gayā; performance of Aśvamedha; and vṛṣotsarga (releasing a bull as a sacred act/dāna).