Shloka 33
The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya
गयां दृष्ट्वा तु सुभगे महापापोऽपि पातकी । पूतः कृत्याधिकारी च श्राद्धकृद्ब्रह्मलोकभाक् ॥ ३३ ॥
gayāṃ dṛṣṭvā tu subhage mahāpāpo'pi pātakī | pūtaḥ kṛtyādhikārī ca śrāddhakṛdbrahmalokabhāk || 33 ||
O Glückseliger, selbst ein schwerer Sünder—vom Makel der Sünde befleckt—wird schon durch den bloßen Anblick von Gayā gereinigt; er wird befähigt, die vorgeschriebenen Ahnenriten zu vollziehen, und wer dort śrāddha darbringt, erlangt die Welt Brahmās.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It declares the extraordinary purifying power of Gayā: mere darśana (seeing the tīrtha) cleanses even grave sin, and performing śrāddha there grants exalted post-mortem merit culminating in Brahmaloka.
By emphasizing tīrtha-darśana and śrāddha as sacred acts done with faith (śraddhā), it frames devotion as reverent participation in dharmic worship and ancestral offerings at a Viṣṇu-associated pilgrimage center (Gayā is widely upheld in Purāṇic tradition as a premier śrāddha-tīrtha).
Ritual application (kalpa/śrauta-smārta procedure) is implied: the verse stresses adhikāra (eligibility) for kṛtya—especially pitṛ-karman like śrāddha—showing how correct rite-performance at a designated tīrtha is central to Purāṇic dharma practice.