Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येको ऽपि गयां व्रजेत् / यजेत वाश्वमेधेन नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत्

Transliteration

eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyeko 'pi gayāṃ vrajet / yajeta vāśvamedhena nīlaṃ vā vṛṣamutsṛjet

Translation

“Seseorang patut menginginkan ramai anak lelaki; jika walau seorang sahaja daripada mereka pergi ke Gayā untuk melaksanakan upacara bagi leluhur, itu seolah-olah dia telah melakukan yajña Aśvamedha, atau telah melepaskan seekor lembu jantan biru sebagai derma suci.”

Word by Word

• एष्टव्याः: to be desired/should be sought
• एष्टव्याः: Vidhyartha (Obligation/विध्यर्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) + एष्टव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive/obligatory); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘पुत्राः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘पुत्राः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-प्रदर्शक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• एकः: one (son)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘(पुत्रः)’ अध्याहृतः

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (emphatic)

• गयाम्: to Gayā
• गयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; देश-नाम

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यजेत: should sacrifice
• यजेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive ‘or’)

• अश्वमेधेन: by/with the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य मेधः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• नीलम्: blue/dark-colored
• नीलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वृषम्’ विशेषयति

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• वृषम्: a bull
• वृषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उत्सृजेत्: should release/set free (as a gift)
• उत्सृजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः उत्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: At Gayā pilgrimage; traditionally during prescribed śrāddha days/when undertaking Gayā-śrāddha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Progeny is valued as a means to fulfill pitṛ-obligations; a single son performing Gayā rites yields merit likened to Aśvamedha or vṛṣotsarga.

Vedantic Theme: Pitṛ-ṛṇa (debt to ancestors) within gṛhastha-dharma; karma-phala magnified by tīrtha and right performance.

Application: Honor ancestors through remembrance and responsible family duty; undertake meaningful rites/pilgrimage or their ethical equivalents with sincerity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Gayā-śrāddha praise passages; tīrtha-māhātmya and pitṛ-tarpaṇa efficacy (contextual); Garuda Purana: vṛṣotsarga/go-dāna merits (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pitris
• Gaya
• Ashvamedha

FAQs

What is the importance of Gayā in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats going to Gayā for ancestral rites as exceptionally meritorious—so powerful that it is compared to major Vedic sacrifices and famed acts of sacred gifting.

How does this verse connect sons with ancestral welfare (Pitri-karya)?

It frames progeny as a means to ensure that at least one descendant will perform key śrāddha duties—especially at Gayā—supporting the well-being and upliftment of the Pitṛs.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain continuity of ancestral remembrance: perform śrāddha/tarpaṇa with sincerity, support family members who undertake such rites, and uphold dharma through responsible family and ritual obligations.