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

సోమకుండంలో స్నానం చేసినవాడు సోమలోకాన్ని పొందుతాడు. సంవర్తుని వాపీలో పిండదానం చేసినవాడు శుభుడై సౌభాగ్యవంతుడవుతాడు.

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.