Shloka 52
Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs
शुक्लकृष्णावुभौ पक्षौ गयायां यो वसेन्नरः पुनात्यासप्तमं चैव कुलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः
śuklakṛṣṇāvubhau pakṣau gayāyāṃ yo vasennaraḥ punātyāsaptamaṃ caiva kulaṃ nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ
A man who resides at Gayā through both fortnights—the bright and the dark—purifies his family up to the seventh generation; of this there is no doubt.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)
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.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha (pilgrimage city/kshetra)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Gayā-māhātmya passages on kula-śuddhi and pitṛ-tarpaṇa; Garuda Purana: repeated ‘no doubt’ assurances in tīrtha-phala statements
FAQs
This verse states that residing in Gayā for both lunar fortnights (bright and dark) has powerful purificatory merit, extending to one’s lineage.
The verse explicitly says purification extends up to the seventh generation (ā-saptamam kulam).
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.