Shloka 79
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
यत्र धर्मः स्थितः साक्षात्पितृलोकस्य पालकः । अभिगम्य ततस्तत्र वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् ॥ ७९ ॥
yatra dharmaḥ sthitaḥ sākṣātpitṛlokasya pālakaḥ | abhigamya tatastatra vājimedhaphalaṃ labhet || 79 ||
Where Dharma himself abides in manifest form as the protector of the world of the ancestors (Pitṛloka)—by approaching and visiting that very place, one obtains merit equal to the Vājimedha sacrifice.
Narada (teaching in a Tirtha-Mahatmya sequence; traditional dialogue framework with Sanatkumara lineage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It elevates a specific Dharma-sthāna/tīrtha by stating that proximity to a place where Dharma is ‘manifest’ grants extraordinary puṇya, equated with the merit of a major Vedic sacrifice.
Though framed in tīrtha-merit language, the verse supports bhakti-oriented pilgrimage: approaching a sanctified seat of Dharma with reverence becomes a powerful spiritual act, not merely a social ritual.
It reflects Kalpa (ritual science) by referencing sacrifice-fruits (vājimedha-phala) and the Purāṇic principle of equivalence—pilgrimage and darśana at a tīrtha can yield results comparable to complex śrauta rites.