Shloka 88
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
तृतीयं क्रौंचपादं च दृष्ट्वा पापात्प्रमुच्यते । शिवनद्यां शिवकरं गयायां च गदाधरम् ॥ ८८ ॥
tṛtīyaṃ krauṃcapādaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā pāpātpramucyate | śivanadyāṃ śivakaraṃ gayāyāṃ ca gadādharam || 88 ||
En contemplant le troisième lieu sacré nommé Krauñcapāda, on est délivré du péché. De même, sur la Śivanadī il faut contempler Śivakara, et à Gayā contempler Gadādhara, le Porteur de la massue.
Narada (teaching in the tirtha-mahatmya context, traditionally within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"bhakti","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_journey":"Pilgrim-devotion expressed as ‘beholding’ sacred forms moves to relief and purification through promised release from sin."}
FAQs
It teaches that tīrtha-darśana (reverent beholding of sacred places and deities) is a dhārmic means for pāpa-kṣaya—reducing sin and inner impurity—especially through renowned pilgrimage centers like Gayā and named holy spots such as Krauñcapāda and Śivanadī.
Bhakti is expressed here as darśana and remembrance of the Lord’s forms—particularly Gadādhara (Vishnu)—and honoring sacred abodes; the verse frames devotion as a lived practice through pilgrimage, reverence, and direct encounter with the deity.
The verse primarily highlights tīrtha-dharma (pilgrimage discipline) rather than a Vedāṅga; practically, it implies correct observance of yātrā-niyama (pilgrimage rules) and proper identification of sacred sites and deity-forms, which aligns with ritual procedure (kalpa/ācāra) in practice.