Shloka 5
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
यत्रैषा पितृभिर्गीता गाथा योगमभीप्सुभिः । एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोऽपि गयां व्रजेत् ॥ ५ ॥
yatraiṣā pitṛbhirgītā gāthā yogamabhīpsubhiḥ | eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyeko'pi gayāṃ vrajet || 5 ||
সেই পবিত্ৰ প্ৰসঙ্গত পিতৃসকলে নিজেই এই গাথা গাইছিল, যোগলাভৰ আকাঙ্ক্ষীয়ে ইয়াক শ্ৰৱণ কৰে—“বহু পুত্ৰ কামনা কৰিব লাগে; কিয়নো তেওঁলোকৰ মাজৰ এজনেও যদি গয়ালৈ যায়।”
Narada (teaching in the Gaya Mahatmya context; verse attributed as a gāthā of the Pitṛs)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It elevates Gayā as a highly efficacious tīrtha for Pitṛ-related merit and liberation-oriented aims, stating that even a single descendant’s pilgrimage to Gayā can fulfill an important ancestral purpose, hence the cultural emphasis on lineage and śrāddha-supporting duties.
While framed around Pitṛ-dharma, it supports Bhakti-oriented practice indirectly: tīrtha-yātrā and śrāddha at Gayā are performed with śraddhā (faith) and remembrance of the divine order, integrating devotion with duty and making ritual action a vehicle for inner purification.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied—especially śrāddha/tarpaṇa and tīrtha-vidhi connected with Gayā—showing how dhārmic rites for ancestors are structured and why specific sacred locations are prescribed for them.