Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

वृषोत्सर्गं तु यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । क्रीडन्ति पितरस्तस्य स्वर्गलोके यदृच्छया

Transliteration

vṛṣotsargaṃ tu yaḥ kuryāttasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa | krīḍanti pitarastasya svargaloke yadṛcchayā

Translation

Namun siapa pun yang melakukan vṛṣotsarga—yakni dana melepaskan seekor lembu jantan—di tīrtha itu, wahai raja, para leluhurnya bersukaria sekehendak hati di alam surga.

Word by Word

• वृषोत्सर्गम्: the releasing of a bull (bull-donation/setting free)
• वृषोत्सर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; emphasis/contrast)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• क्रीडन्ति: play/sport
• क्रीडन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितरः: the ancestors (Pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• स्वर्गलोके: in heaven-world
• स्वर्गलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यदृच्छया: spontaneously, as they please
• यदृच्छया: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/Cause nuance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (instrumental used adverbially: ‘by chance/at will’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-tīrtha (associated Śiva-kṣetra tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa / Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim releases a decorated bull at the tīrtha; priests recite mantras; in a celestial vignette above, pitṛs rejoice in svarga gardens.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Pitaras (ancestors)
• Vṛṣotsarga
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed at a tīrtha is framed as intergenerational dharma, directly benefiting one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha in context is Māṇḍavya-tīrtha (Revā-khaṇḍa, Avantīkhaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vṛṣotsarga—ritual release/donation of a bull as a form of dāna at the tīrtha.