Shloka 21
समुद्राः सरितः सर्वे वापीकूपह्नदास्तथा । स्नातुकामा गयातीर्थं देवि यांति न संशयः ॥ २१ ॥
samudrāḥ saritaḥ sarve vāpīkūpahnadāstathā | snātukāmā gayātīrthaṃ devi yāṃti na saṃśayaḥ || 21 ||
हे देवी! सर्व समुद्र, सर्व नद्या, तसेच विहिरी, कूप व सरोवरे—स्नानाची इच्छा धरून गयातीर्थास जातात; यात संशय नाही।
Narada (addressing Devi)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"Wonder is evoked by cosmic-scale imagery—waters of the world converging—ending in confident assurance ('no doubt')."}
FAQs
It proclaims Gayā-tīrtha as so spiritually potent that even the great bodies of water are described as seeking purification there, emphasizing the unrivaled sanctity of Gayā in tirtha-mahātmya.
By glorifying Gayā as a divinely charged tīrtha, the verse supports bhakti-oriented pilgrimage: approaching sacred places with श्रद्धा (faith) and purity-intent is presented as a means of drawing near to the divine.
Ritual practice (kalpa-oriented conduct) is implied through tīrtha-snana: bathing at a prescribed sacred site as a purificatory act within dharma and pilgrimage observances.