Shloka 23
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
असंस्कृता मृता ये च पशुभिः प्रहताश्च ये । सर्पदष्टा गयाश्राद्धान्मुक्ताः स्वर्गं व्रजन्ति ते ॥ २३ ॥
asaṃskṛtā mṛtā ye ca paśubhiḥ prahatāśca ye | sarpadaṣṭā gayāśrāddhānmuktāḥ svargaṃ vrajanti te || 23 ||
जे संस्कार न होता मरण पावले, जे पशूंनी मारले, आणि जे सर्पदंशाने मृत झाले—ते गयाश्राद्धाने मुक्त होऊन स्वर्गास जातात।
Suta (narrating the Gayā-māhātmya section of the Nārada Purāṇa)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"karuna","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_journey":"Compassion for tragic/inauspicious deaths and the unsamskāra condition shifts into wonder and uplift as Gayā-śrāddha grants release and ascent to heaven."}
FAQs
It declares the exceptional purifying power of Gayā-Śrāddha: even those who died in distressing or irregular circumstances, including without proper saṃskāras, are said to be released and attain svarga through this rite.
Bhakti is implied through faith in a sacred tīrtha and performance of śrāddha as an act of dharma offered with reverence; the verse emphasizes grace mediated through a holy place and prescribed rite rather than personal merit alone.
It highlights Kalpa (ritual procedure) via śrāddha and saṃskāra principles—showing the importance of correct funeral/ancestral rites and the remedial role of tīrtha-śrāddha when such rites were absent or death was untimely.