Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वृषोत्सर्गं तु यस्तत्र कुर्याद्वै भावितात्मवान् । यावंति वृषरोमाणि तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते

Transliteration

vṛṣotsargaṃ tu yastatra kuryādvai bhāvitātmavān | yāvaṃti vṛṣaromāṇi tāvatsvarge mahīyate

Translation

നിയമഭക്തിയോടെ അവിടെ വൃഷോത്സർഗം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ—ആ വൃഷഭത്തിന്റെ രോമങ്ങൾ എത്രയോ അത്ര (വർഷം) സ്വർഗത്തിൽ മഹിമപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वृषोत्सर्गम्: release/gifting of a bull
• वृषोत्सर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-उत्सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य उत्सर्गः)

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

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

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

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक

• भावितात्मवान्: one of purified/controlled mind
• भावितात्मवान्: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित-आत्मन्-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त+तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'भावित' = कृ (भावयति) धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) + आत्मन्; तत्पुरुषः; 'वत्' तद्धित (possessive)

• यावन्ति: as many as
• यावन्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (correlative)

• वृषरोमाणि: bull-hairs (hairs of the bull)
• वृषरोमाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष-रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य रोमाणि)

• तावत्: so many/that many
• तावत्: Pramana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; परिमाणवाचक (correlative)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Daśāśvamedha-pradeśa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at Prabhāsa ceremonially releases a decorated bull: garlands, cloth, and a copper plate inscription; priests bless with mantras; the bull walks toward open sacred grounds, while celestial figures shower flowers indicating svarga honor.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣotsarga (bull-release rite)
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charitable ritual acts done in a sacred kṣetra, when performed with a refined mind, are said to multiply in merit and yield exalted afterlife fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Daśāśvamedha/Aśvamedhika sacred area within Prabhāsa-kṣetra where vṛṣotsarga is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vṛṣotsarga—ceremonially releasing (or gifting) a bull as a dhārmic rite, performed at the tīrtha.