Shloka 54
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
गयायां धर्मपृष्ठे च सदसि ब्रह्मणस्तथा । गयाशीर्थेऽक्षयवटे पितॄणां दत्तमक्षयम् ॥ ५४ ॥
gayāyāṃ dharmapṛṣṭhe ca sadasi brahmaṇastathā | gayāśīrthe'kṣayavaṭe pitṝṇāṃ dattamakṣayam || 54 ||
Em Gayā—em Dharmapṛṣṭha e também no salão de assembleia de Brahmā; e em Gayāśiras, junto ao Akṣayavaṭa—tudo o que ali se oferece aos Pitṛs (ancestrais) torna-se imperecível: seu mérito jamais diminui.
Sage Narada (teaching the Sanatkumara brothers in the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It declares Gayā—especially Dharmapṛṣṭha, Brahmā’s sacred assembly, Gayāśiras, and the Akṣayavaṭa—as places where offerings to the Pitṛs yield akṣaya-phala, i.e., undiminishing spiritual merit and lasting benefit to ancestors.
While focused on śrāddha, it supports bhakti through reverent service (seva) and faith in tīrtha—performing ancestral rites as dharma dedicated to the divine order, trusting that sacred places preserve and magnify the offering’s fruit.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied: the verse identifies specific tīrthas where śrāddha/dāna for Pitṛs is prescribed and said to be especially efficacious, guiding correct ritual location-selection within dharma practice.