Shloka 30
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
पिंडप्रदानं विधिना प्रयच्छत्तावद्वियत्युत्त ममूर्तियुक्तान् । पश्यन् स पुंसः सितरक्तकृष्णानुवाच राजा किमिदं भवंतः ॥ ३० ॥
piṃḍapradānaṃ vidhinā prayacchattāvadviyatyutta mamūrtiyuktān | paśyan sa puṃsaḥ sitaraktakṛṣṇānuvāca rājā kimidaṃ bhavaṃtaḥ || 30 ||
विधीनुसार पिंडदान करत असता त्याने आकाशात उत्तम देहधारी जीव पाहिले—कोणी श्वेत, कोणी रक्त, कोणी कृष्णवर्ण. त्यांना पाहून राजा म्हणाला—“आपण कोण, आणि हे काय आहे?”
King (rājā) speaking to the apparitional beings during the śrāddha/piṇḍa-pradāna episode
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It highlights that śrāddha and piṇḍa-pradāna are not merely symbolic—performed correctly, they connect the performer to subtle realms, where the results of karma and ancestral states may become perceptible.
While the verse is primarily ritual-focused, it supports bhakti-based dharma by showing that prescribed offerings done with reverence and faith (śraddhā) align human action with cosmic order, a key devotional attitude in Purāṇic practice.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied through “vidhinā”—the correct method of śrāddha and piṇḍa-pradāna, where precise injunction-following determines the intended ritual efficacy.