Shloka 16
The Glory of Gayā and the Pilgrimage Circuit of Allied Tīrthas
शुक्लकृष्णावुभौ पक्षौ गयायां यो वसेन्नरः । पुनात्यासप्तमं राजन्कुलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः
śuklakṛṣṇāvubhau pakṣau gayāyāṃ yo vasennaraḥ | punātyāsaptamaṃ rājankulaṃ nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ
राजन्, गयायां शुक्लकृष्णौ उभौ पक्षौ यः नरः वसति, सः सप्तमं यावत् कुलं पुनाति; अत्र संशयो नास्ति।
Unspecified (narrator addressing a king: 'rājan')
Concept: Extended residence in a powerful tīrtha (covering both śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣa) purifies one’s lineage up to seven generations.
Application: Honor ancestors through ethical living and periodic remembrance; if visiting Gayā, combine pilgrimage with charity, restraint, and sincere prayer rather than mere ritualism.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the sandy banks of the Phalgu at Gayā, a pilgrim family performs ancestral rites as priests chant softly; offerings of water and sesame glint in the sun. The scene widens to show the town’s temples and ghats, conveying the sense that time itself—both fortnights—has been consecrated into a single act of lineage healing.","primary_figures":["pilgrims performing śrāddha","Gayā priests (paṇḍās)","ancestors as subtle ethereal silhouettes (optional)"],"setting":"Phalgu riverbank ghats with steps, ritual platforms, nearby temple spires and banyan/peepal shade","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["river-sand ochre","marigold orange","sacred ash white","leaf green","temple-stone gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Gayā ghats with a central śrāddha ritual scene—priests and pilgrims, brass vessels, sesame and flowers; gold leaf highlights on temple spires and ritual lamps, rich reds/greens in garments, ornate border motifs inspired by South Indian temple frames.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle riverbank with sandy textures, delicate figures seated in ritual, soft architectural silhouettes of temples; cool morning light, refined faces, lyrical trees and birds along the Phalgu.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghat steps and temple towers, bold outlines around ritual vessels and figures; warm red/yellow/green pigments, patterned frame, symbolic depiction of ancestors as faint halos above the offerings.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ghat composition with lotus and floral borders; central offering scene with garlands and lamps, peacocks near a banyan tree; deep blue accents with gold highlights, intricate textile detailing around temple motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","mantra chanting","temple bells","rustling peepal leaves","soft conch shell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शुक्लकृष्णौ+उभौ → शुक्लकृष्णावुभौ; वसेत्+नरः → वसेन्नरः; पुनाति+आ+सप्तमम् → पुनात्यासप्तमम्; राजन्+कुलम् → राजन्कुलम्; न+अस्ति → नास्ति.
FAQs
It recommends residing in the sacred place of Gayā for both lunar fortnights (śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣa), i.e., for a full lunar month.
The verse states that such residence purifies one’s lineage up to the seventh generation.
Gayā is presented as a powerful tīrtha where extended religious observance (here, a full lunar cycle) yields exceptional merit and purification for oneself and one’s family line.