Shloka 4
श्राद्ध-योग्य द्रव्य, निषेध, तथा गयाश्राद्ध-माहात्म्य (Śrāddha Materials, Prohibitions, and the Glory of Gayā)
गयाम् उपेत्य यः श्राद्धं करोति पृथिवीपते सफलं तस्य तज् जन्म जायते पितृतुष्टिदम्
gayām upetya yaḥ śrāddhaṃ karoti pṛthivīpate saphalaṃ tasya taj janma jāyate pitṛtuṣṭidam
O lord of the earth, whoever goes to Gayā and performs the śrāddha rites there—his very birth becomes fruitful, for it brings satisfaction and peace to the ancestors.
Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya; the verse itself addresses a king as 'pṛthivīpate' within the narration)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Merit of performing śrāddha at Gayā and its special efficacy for pitṛs
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Pilgrimage to a highly charged tīrtha and performance of śrāddha there is taught as a dharmic act that makes one’s life ‘saphala’ by bringing peace to ancestors.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: If undertaking ancestral rites, do them with intentionality—either at a recognized tīrtha like Gayā or by creating a disciplined, reverent observance at home with proper guidance.
Vishishtadvaita: Tīrthas are understood as places where the Lord’s sustaining presence makes dharmic action especially potent for the welfare of connected souls (pitṛs), reflecting relational, qualified non-duality.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse states that performing śrāddha at Gayā makes one’s life truly fruitful because it directly satisfies the Pitṛs, emphasizing Gayā as a uniquely potent tīrtha for ancestral rites.
Parāśara presents śrāddha as a dharmic act whose primary aim is pitṛtuṣṭi—bringing contentment to one’s ancestors—thereby fulfilling a key human obligation within the moral order upheld by Vishnu.
Even when discussing ritual practice, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma as meaningful within a cosmos governed by Vishnu; the merit of tīrthas and rites operates under the Supreme Lord’s sustaining order.