Shloka 76

Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs

Devanagari script

सोमकुण्डे नरः स्नात्वा सोमलोकं च गच्छति / संवर्तस्य नरो वाप्यां सुभगः स्यात्तु पिण्डदः

Transliteration

somakuṇḍe naraḥ snātvā somalokaṃ ca gacchati / saṃvartasya naro vāpyāṃ subhagaḥ syāttu piṇḍadaḥ

Translation

ਸੋਮਕੁੰਡ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਨਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਨਾਲ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਸੋਮਲੋਕ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਅਤੇ ਸੰਵਰਤ ਦੀ ਵਾਪੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਿੰਡਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਤੇ ਭਾਗਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਬਣਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• सोमकुण्डे: in the Soma-pond
• सोमकुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (locative)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• सोमलोकम्: to the Soma-world
• सोमलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गन्तव्य (goal)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संवर्तस्य: of Saṃvarta
• संवर्तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वाप्याम्: in the reservoir/pond
• वाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• सुभगः: fortunate
• सुभगः: Karta-predicative (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्धी विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• स्यात्: would be / becomes
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधबोधक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• पिण्डदः: the piṇḍa-offerer
• पिण्डदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + द (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agent noun: giver of piṇḍa)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: During tīrtha-yātrā / at the specified tīrtha-site

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha-snāna and piṇḍa-dāna as meritorious acts producing specific phala (Somaloka; saubhāgya).

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyama (lawful fruition of action) within a dharmic cosmos; sacred space as an upāya for purification.

Application: Undertake tīrtha-bath with sankalpa; perform piṇḍa-dāna at prescribed sites with śraddhā, dedicating merit to pitṛs and seeking inner purity rather than mere tourism.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha (kuṇḍa) and vāpyā (stepwell/well)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Pretakalpa/Śrāddha sections on tīrtha-śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna phala; Garuda Purana passages listing Gayā and other tīrthas for pitṛ-tarpaṇa

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Saṃvarta

FAQs

What is the importance of bathing at Soma-kuṇḍa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that bathing at Soma-kuṇḍa grants the merit leading to Soma-loka (the celestial realm associated with Soma).

How does this verse connect pilgrimage (tīrtha) with ancestral rites (piṇḍa-dāna)?

It links two merit-producing acts: tīrtha-snana (bathing at a sacred site) and piṇḍa-dāna (offering funeral oblations), presenting both as spiritually efficacious actions with specific results.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

Maintain reverence for ancestors through śrāddha/piṇḍa offerings when appropriate, and approach pilgrimages as disciplined, ethical practices aimed at purification rather than mere travel.