Shloka 9
Gayā-yātrā-vidhi: Multi-day Śrāddha Route, Pitṛ-devatās, and Akṣaya Merit at Gayā
सिद्धानां प्रीतिजननैः पापानां च भयङ्करैः / लेलिहानैर्महाघोरैरक्षतैः पन्नगोत्तमैः
siddhānāṃ prītijananaiḥ pāpānāṃ ca bhayaṅkaraiḥ / lelihānairmahāghorairakṣataiḥ pannagottamaiḥ
तेथे अक्षत असे पन्नगश्रेष्ठ नाग आहेत; ते सिद्धांना प्रीती देतात, पण पाप्यांना भयभीत करतात. ते महाघोर असून जीभ लपलपत फिरतात.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Moral perception differs by inner purity: the same sacred power delights the siddha yet frightens the sinner; fear arises from pāpa and conscience.
Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi shapes experience; the world mirrors one’s saṃskāras—purity yields fearlessness, impurity yields dread.
Application: Cultivate ethical conduct and ritual purity; approach sacred places with restraint and repentance so that protective forces are experienced as auspicious rather than threatening.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha/forest-lakeside sacred zone
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya passages describing guardians and omens around 1.84; Garuda Purana: nāga-related motifs in sacred geography sections (thematic)
FAQs
This verse uses the nāgas as moral symbolism: the spiritually refined experience them as auspicious, while sinners experience the same beings as terrifying—highlighting how karma shapes perception in Yama’s realm.
It implies that the after-death journey is not uniform: beings and environments encountered can feel supportive or dreadful depending on one’s moral and spiritual condition (puṇya vs. pāpa).
Cultivate dharma—truthfulness, non-harm, restraint, and charity—so that the consequences of death and the hereafter are faced with steadiness rather than fear.