Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

वृषोत्सर्गः कृतो यैस्तु तीर्थेस्मिन्वार्षभध्वजे । अश्वमेधपुरोडाशैः पितरस्तेन तर्पिताः

Transliteration

vṛṣotsargaḥ kṛto yaistu tīrthesminvārṣabhadhvaje | aśvamedhapuroḍāśaiḥ pitarastena tarpitāḥ

Translation

ഈ വൃഷഭധ്വജ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ വൃഷോത്സർഗം ചെയ്യുന്നവരാൽ, അവരുടെ പിതാക്കന്മാർ അശ്വമേധയാഗത്തിലെ പുരോഡാശങ്ങളാൽ തൃപ്തരാകുന്നതുപോലെ തൃപ്തരാകുന്നു।

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.