Shloka 19
Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs
गोमकं गोपतिं देवं पितॄणामनृणो भवेत् / अङ्गारेशं च सिद्धेशं गयादित्यं गजं तथा
gomakaṃ gopatiṃ devaṃ pitṝṇāmanṛṇo bhavet / aṅgāreśaṃ ca siddheśaṃ gayādityaṃ gajaṃ tathā
Durch Verehrung oder Gedenken an Gomaka und Gopati Deva wird man schuldenfrei gegenüber den Pitṛs (Ahnen). Ebenso soll man Aṅgāreśa, Siddheśa, Gayāditya und auch Gaja verehren.
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)
Beneficiary: Pitr
Concept: Ṛṇa-traya focus: one must become ‘anṛṇa’ (free of debt), especially toward pitṛs; sacred worship supports fulfillment of ancestral duty.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as purifier of the mind (citta-śuddhi) enabling higher pursuit; honoring pitṛs as part of cosmic order (ṛta/dharma).
Application: Perform śrāddha/tarpaṇa and maintain family responsibilities; if pilgrimage is impossible, do sankalpa, charity in ancestors’ name, and regular remembrance.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha/temple-shrine circuit
Related Themes: Garuda Purana sections on śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna, and pitṛ-gati (elsewhere in the text); Adjacent 1.83 verses enumerating Gayā shrines and their fruits
FAQs
This verse states that honoring specific sacred forms/names (such as Gomaka and Gopati Deva) leads to becoming anṛṇa—released from the binding obligation toward the Pitṛs—highlighting ancestor duty as a key part of dharma.
By emphasizing freedom from Pitṛ-ṛṇa, the verse implies that fulfilling ancestral obligations supports spiritual order and removes impediments connected with lineage-based duties, which the Garuda Purana frequently links with post-death well-being and ritual continuity.
Maintain regular śrāddha/tarpaṇa (as per one’s tradition), remember sacred names with devotion, and live responsibly toward family lineage—treating ancestor duty as an ethical and ritual commitment rather than mere formality.