Shloka 52

Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs

Devanagari script

शुक्लकृष्णावुभौ पक्षौ गयायां यो वसेन्नरः पुनात्यासप्तमं चैव कुलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः

Transliteration

śuklakṛṣṇāvubhau pakṣau gayāyāṃ yo vasennaraḥ punātyāsaptamaṃ caiva kulaṃ nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Wer in Gayā während beider Monatshälften—der hellen und der dunklen—verweilt, reinigt seine Familie bis zur siebten Generation; daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• śuklakṛṣṇau: the bright and dark (fortnights)
• śuklakṛṣṇau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā-vibhakti (1st), Dvivacana; viśeṣaṇa of 'pakṣau'

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Dvivacana; viśeṣaṇa of 'pakṣau'

• pakṣau: fortnights
• pakṣau: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Dvivacana

• gayāyām: in Gayā
• gayāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī-vibhakti (7th), Ekavacana

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• vaset: may dwell
• vaset: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to 'yaḥ'

• punāti: purifies
• punāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pū (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• ā: up to
• ā: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhi-avyaya (limit particle/अवधि)

• saptamam: the seventh
• saptamam: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of implied 'paryantam' / with 'ā'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (emphatic particle/अवधारण)

• kulam: family/lineage
• kulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-nipāta (negation/निषेध)

• asti: is
• asti: Kriyā (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातu)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (adverb of place/देश)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kṣetra-māhātmya: sustained presence in a powerful tīrtha generates puṇya that extends to seven generations.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s subtle reach (adr̥ṣṭa) and the interlinked destiny of family lines; tīrtha as a catalyst for purification.

Application: If undertaking Gayā pilgrimage, plan a complete fortnightly cycle or meaningful duration with disciplined conduct, charity, and pitṛ-oriented rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha (pilgrimage city/kshetra)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Gayā-māhātmya passages on kula-śuddhi and pitṛ-tarpaṇa; Garuda Purana: repeated ‘no doubt’ assurances in tīrtha-phala statements

Characters & Entities

• Gayā

FAQs

What is the importance of staying in Gaya in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that residing in Gayā for both lunar fortnights (bright and dark) has powerful purificatory merit, extending to one’s lineage.

How many generations are purified according to this verse?

The verse explicitly says purification extends up to the seventh generation (ā-saptamam kulam).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If undertaking ancestral rites (śrāddha/pinda-dāna), plan them with sincerity and discipline; the verse emphasizes sustained observance at a sacred place like Gayā as a means of benefiting one’s lineage.