Shloka 144

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / मया ते कथितं पक्षिन् वृषयज्ञः सुविस्तरः / प्राणिनां कर्मनिर्हारं श्रुत्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / mayā te kathitaṃ pakṣin vṛṣayajñaḥ suvistaraḥ / prāṇināṃ karmanirhāraṃ śrutvā pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

श्रीकृष्ण म्हणाले—हे पक्षिन् गरुड! मी तुला वृषयज्ञाचा सविस्तर उपदेश केला आहे. प्राण्यांच्या कर्मनिर्हाराचे श्रवण केल्याने मनुष्य पापांपासून मुक्त होतो.

Word by Word

• śrīkṛṣṇaḥ: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• śrīkṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् कृष्णः)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana/Agentive (By me/कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन (तुभ्यम्)

• kathitam: has been told
• kathitam: Kriya (Predicative/कथितम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

• pakṣin: O bird (Garuḍa)
• pakṣin: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• vṛṣayajñaḥ: the bull-sacrifice (vṛṣa-yajña)
• vṛṣayajñaḥ: Karta/Topic (Subject/topic/प्रस्ताव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य यज्ञः)

• suvistaraḥ: in great detail
• suvistaraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• prāṇinām: of living beings
• prāṇinām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• karmanirhāram: the removal/expulsion of karma
• karmanirhāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + nirhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणां निर्हारः)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य

• pāpaiḥ: from sins
• pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Separation/from sins)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/अपादान-हेतु), बहुवचन; ‘पापैः’ = पापेभ्यः इत्यर्थे (ablatival sense)

• pramucyate: is released
• pramucyate: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is freed)

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Lord Viṣṇu speaking as Kṛṣṇa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa (hearing) of karmic ‘nirhāra’—the working-out/discharge of deeds—has pāpa-kṣaya (sin-destroying) efficacy; ritual exposition (vṛṣa-yajña) is linked to moral causality.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kṣaya through śravaṇa and saṃskāra; knowledge as purifier (jñāna/śravaṇa) supporting dharma and bhakti.

Application: Regularly listen to/recite purāṇic teachings on karma and dharma; use the insight to reform conduct and undertake expiatory/meritorious acts with right intention.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: dialogue setting (Hari–Garuda saṃvāda)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.6 (vṛṣa-yajña exposition); Garuda Purana sections praising śravaṇa as pāpa-nāśaka

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of Vṛṣa-yajña in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse, Vṛṣa-yajña is presented as a dharmic rite taught in detail by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and its teaching is linked with purification—hearing the doctrine of karma’s settlement is said to free one from sins.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Rather than describing a route, it emphasizes the principle governing the soul’s post-mortem experience: karma is ‘worked out’ (karmanirhāra). Understanding this moral causality is itself described as spiritually purifying.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Study and listen to dharma teachings with attention, and live in a way that reduces harmful actions; the verse highlights śravaṇa (hearing) of karma-doctrine as a means to ethical clarity and inner purification.