Shloka 80
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
ततो गच्छेत मनुजो ब्रह्मणस्तीर्थमुत्तमम् । तत्राधिगम्य ब्रह्माणं राजसूयफलं लभेत् ॥ ८० ॥
tato gaccheta manujo brahmaṇastīrthamuttamam | tatrādhigamya brahmāṇaṃ rājasūyaphalaṃ labhet || 80 ||
ततः मनुजः ब्रह्मणः परमं तीर्थमुत्तमं गच्छेत्। तत्र ब्रह्माणं समधिगम्य राजसूययज्ञसमं पुण्यफलं लभेत्॥
Narada (teaching in a Tirtha-Mahatmya sequence, traditionally within Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) by stating that approaching Brahmā at his sacred tīrtha yields merit comparable to a major imperial Vedic sacrifice, showing that sacred geography can confer high ritual fruit.
Though framed in tīrtha-mahātmya and ritual merit, it implies devotional darśana—approaching a divine/creator presence at a holy place—as a potent means to gain spiritual benefit without performing an elaborate yajña.
It references the Rājasūya yajña, pointing to Śrauta-ritual knowledge (Kalpa/Śrauta-sūtra tradition) and the Purāṇic principle of equivalence where tīrtha-darśana can substitute for complex sacrificial performance.