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
بہت سے بیٹوں کی آرزو کرنی چاہیے—اگر ان میں سے ایک بھی گیا جائے؛ یا اشومیدھ یَجّیہ کرے؛ یا نیلے رنگ کے بیل کو وِرشوتسرگ کے طور پر چھوڑ دے۔
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.