Shloka 7
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
प्रवक्ष्यामि समासेन भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं श्रृणु । गयासुरोऽभवत्पूर्वं वीर्यवान्परमः स च ॥ ७ ॥
pravakṣyāmi samāsena bhuktimuktipradaṃ śrṛṇu | gayāsuro'bhavatpūrvaṃ vīryavānparamaḥ sa ca || 7 ||
I shall explain it briefly—listen to that which bestows both worldly enjoyment and liberation. Formerly there was an asura named Gayāsura, exceedingly mighty and supreme in strength.
Narada (narrating within the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue, traditionally addressed to the Sanatkumara brothers)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It frames the Gaya narrative as a tirtha-mahatmya that grants both bhukti (legitimate worldly welfare) and mukti (final liberation), introducing Gayasura as the key figure behind Gaya’s salvific power.
By presenting the account as “bhukti–mukti-prada,” the verse signals that sacred listening (śravaṇa) to the tirtha’s glory and the ensuing Vishnu-centered tirtha practice (implied in the Gaya context) support both worldly good and liberation—an important bhakti framing in Purāṇic teaching.
The verse itself does not teach a specific Vedāṅga, but it introduces a ritual-context chapter where śravaṇa (authoritative hearing) and later tirtha-related rites (e.g., śrāddha/pinda offerings in Gaya) are typically grounded in kalpa (ritual procedure).