Shloka 23
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
असंस्कृता मृता ये च पशुभिः प्रहताश्च ये । सर्पदष्टा गयाश्राद्धान्मुक्ताः स्वर्गं व्रजन्ति ते ॥ २३ ॥
asaṃskṛtā mṛtā ye ca paśubhiḥ prahatāśca ye | sarpadaṣṭā gayāśrāddhānmuktāḥ svargaṃ vrajanti te || 23 ||
Those who died without receiving the proper sacraments, those struck down by beasts, and those bitten by serpents—through the Śrāddha performed at Gayā they are freed and they go to heaven.
Suta (narrating the Gayā-māhātmya section of the Nārada Purāṇa)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It declares the exceptional purifying power of Gayā-Śrāddha: even those who died in distressing or irregular circumstances, including without proper saṃskāras, are said to be released and attain svarga through this rite.
Bhakti is implied through faith in a sacred tīrtha and performance of śrāddha as an act of dharma offered with reverence; the verse emphasizes grace mediated through a holy place and prescribed rite rather than personal merit alone.
It highlights Kalpa (ritual procedure) via śrāddha and saṃskāra principles—showing the importance of correct funeral/ancestral rites and the remedial role of tīrtha-śrāddha when such rites were absent or death was untimely.