Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वृषो त्सर्गो विशेषेण तत्र कार्यो नरोत्तमैः । सर्वपापविनाशाय पितॄणां प्रीतये प्रिये

Transliteration

vṛṣo tsargo viśeṣeṇa tatra kāryo narottamaiḥ | sarvapāpavināśāya pitṝṇāṃ prītaye priye

Translation

हे प्रिये, वहाँ श्रेष्ठ पुरुषों को विशेष रूप से वृषोत्सर्ग (बैल का दान/मुक्ति) करना चाहिए—समस्त पापों के नाश और पितरों की प्रसन्नता के लिए।

Word by Word

• वृषोत्सर्गः: the releasing of a bull (vṛṣotsarga rite)
• वृषोत्सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वृषस्य उत्सर्गः)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Avyaya-like (Adverbial instrument/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (in a special manner)

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

• कार्यः: should be performed
• कार्यः: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्प्रत्यय—यत् (gerundive/भाव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• नरोत्तमैः: by the best of men
• नरोत्तमैः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (उत्तमाः नराः)

• सर्वपापविनाशाय: for the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपाप + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वपापानां विनाशः)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• प्रीतये: for the satisfaction
• प्रीतये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

• प्रिये: O beloved (lady)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trisaṅgama (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a sacred confluence near the sea, a noble pilgrim ceremonially releases a decorated bull, offering water-libations to ancestors while priests chant; tīrtha landscape with ghāṭa, flags, and distant shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣotsarga (bull-release)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Trisaṅgama/Miśratīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit is perfected by dharmic gifting: acts like vṛṣotsarga at a tīrtha purify the doer and bring benefit to the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha in this chapter—Trisaṅgama/Miśratīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra—where vṛṣotsarga is especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform vṛṣotsarga (ritual dedication/release of a bull) at the site for destruction of sins and for pleasing the Pitṛs.