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The Sanctity of Gayā: Raibhya’s Encounter and Hymn to Viṣṇu
Gadādhara
श्रीवराह उवाच । स रैभ्यो मुनिशार्दूलः श्रुत्वा सिद्धं वसुं तदा । आजगाम गयां पुण्यां पितृतीर्थं तपोधनः । तत्र गत्वा पितॄन् भक्त्या पिण्डदानेन तर्पयत् ॥ ७.२ ॥
śrīvarāha uvāca | sa raibhyo muniśārdūlaḥ śrutvā siddhaṃ vasuṃ tadā | ājagāma gayāṃ puṇyāṃ pitṛtīrthaṃ tapodhanaḥ | tatra gatvā pitṝn bhaktyā piṇḍadānena tarpayat || 7.2 ||
Śrī Varāha bersabda: Ketika itu Raibhya, harimau di antara para muni, setelah mendengar bahawa Vasu telah mencapai siddhi, datang ke Gayā yang suci, iaitu pitṛ-tīrtha. Setelah tiba di sana, sang pertapa yang kaya dengan tapa memuaskan para leluhur dengan bhakti melalui persembahan piṇḍa (bebola makanan ritual).
Varāha
The verse situates Gayā within Purāṇic sacred geography as a recognized pitṛ-tīrtha, reflecting the codification of pilgrimage networks and ancestral-rite traditions in medieval Sanskrit literature.
Gayā (गया), commonly identified with the historic pilgrimage center in present-day Bihar, India, long associated in Sanskrit sources with rites for ancestors (piṇḍadāna).
The passage foregrounds filial/ancestral responsibility expressed through disciplined, devotional ritual action—honoring predecessors through culturally sanctioned offerings rather than through coercive or exclusivist claims.
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