Shloka 3
The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya
अंगुष्ठस्थित ईशोऽपि प्रभासेशः प्रकीर्तितः । शिलांगुष्ठैकदेशो यः सा च प्रेतशिला स्थिता ॥ ३ ॥
aṃguṣṭhasthita īśo'pi prabhāseśaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | śilāṃguṣṭhaikadeśo yaḥ sā ca pretaśilā sthitā || 3 ||
அங்குஷ்டச் சின்னத்தில் உறையும் பரமன் ‘பிரபாசேசன்’ எனப் புகழப்படுகிறார். மேலும் அங்குஷ்டம் போன்ற ஒரு பகுதியைக் கொண்ட அந்தக் கல் அங்கே ‘பிரேதசிலை’ என நிறுவப்பட்டுள்ளது.
Suta (narrating Narada’s account to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It marks Prabhāsa as a living sacred geography: the Lord is worshipped in a specific, recognizable form (Prabhāseśa), and a distinct stone-sign (Pretaśilā) anchors rites connected with purification and ancestral/‘preta’ concerns within the tīrtha.
Bhakti here is expressed through tīrtha-centered worship—recognizing the Lord’s presence in a consecrated place and approaching Him with reverence through a named form (Prabhāseśa) and its traditional markers.
It reflects ritual-practical tradition (kalpa/ācāra in application): identifying a sacred object by its lakṣaṇa (mark) and associating it with specific rites such as purification and śrāddha-related observances at a tīrtha.