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
Oh señor de la tierra, quien vaya a Gayā y realice allí los ritos de śrāddha, hace fructífera su propia existencia, pues brinda satisfacción y sosiego a los antepasados.
Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya; the verse itself addresses a king as 'pṛthivīpate' within the narration)
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.