Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72
एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोपि गयां व्रजेत् । यजेत वाऽश्वमेधेन नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत्
eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyekopi gayāṃ vrajet | yajeta vā'śvamedhena nīlaṃ vā vṛṣamutsṛjet
ควรปรารถนาบุตรหลายคน—เพราะหากแม้เพียงคนเดียวไปยังคยา; หรือประกอบอัศวเมธยัญ; หรือปล่อยโคเพศผู้สีครามเป็นวฤโษตสรรคะ ก็เป็นมหากุศล
Sūta
Tirtha: Gayā (as exemplar) and Puṣkara (implied for vṛṣotsarga)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A householder reflects on lineage duties: one panel shows a son traveling to Gayā with offerings for śrāddha; another shows a grand Aśvamedha scene; a third shows vṛṣotsarga of a blue-hued bull—three pathways of kuloddhāra.
FAQs
A single dharmic achiever in the family—pilgrim to Gayā, sacrificer, or donor—can embody immense merit, making such blessings worth aspiring for.
Gayā is invoked as a benchmark pilgrimage-site of extraordinary merit; the surrounding passage remains within the Puṣkara māhātmya frame.
Going to Gayā (pilgrimage), performing Aśvamedha (major sacrifice), and vṛṣotsarga (releasing/dedicating a bull), specifically a nīla (dark/blue) bull.