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

ഹേ നരാധിപാ! ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും വൃഷോത്സർഗം ചെയ്താൽ, അവന്റെ പിതൃകൾ സ്വർഗ്ഗലോകത്തിൽ ഇഷ്ടംപോലെ ക്രീഡിക്കുന്നു.

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.