Shloka 59

The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya

Devanagari script

आगतोऽस्मि गयां देव पितृकार्ये गदाधर । त्वमेव साक्षी भगवाननृणोऽहमृणत्रयात् ॥ ५९ ॥

Transliteration

āgato'smi gayāṃ deva pitṛkārye gadādhara | tvameva sākṣī bhagavānanṛṇo'hamṛṇatrayāt || 59 ||

Translation

హే దేవా గదాధరా! పితృకార్యార్థం నేను గయకు వచ్చితిని. హే భగవాన్, నీవే సాక్షి; నీ కృపవల్ల నేను ఋణత్రయమునుండి అనృణుడనగుదును.

Word by Word

• आगतः: come / arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; with ‘अस्मि’ forms perfect-like periphrasis

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• गयाम्: to Gayā
• गयाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• पितृ-कार्ये: for the rite of the ancestors
• पितृ-कार्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; purpose-context “in/for the ancestral rite”

• गदाधर: O Gadādhara
• गदाधर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; epithet “one who bears a mace”

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• एव: indeed / alone
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable particle (निपात), emphasis

• साक्षी: witness
• साक्षी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Apposition (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• अनृणः: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective to ‘अहम्’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ऋण-त्रयात्: from the three debts
• ऋण-त्रयात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; ‘from the three debts’

Speaker

Pilgrim/ritual performer addressing Lord Vishnu (Gadadhara) at Gaya (within the Gaya Mahatmya narration)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Gadādhara
• Bhagavān (Viṣṇu)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

The verse frames Gayā as a sacred tirtha where ancestral rites are performed in the presence of Viṣṇu (Gadādhara) as the divine witness, and it links proper pitṛ-kārya with becoming free from the foundational obligations known as ṛṇa-traya.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Even while performing ritual duty, the speaker directly surrenders to Gadādhara and acknowledges Him as the sole sākṣī; this devotional orientation makes the rite God-centered, presenting bhakti as the inner power that sanctifies karma and leads toward liberation from bondage.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to Kalpa (ritual procedure) through pitṛ-kārya such as śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna, and to Dharma-śāstra principles of ṛṇa-traya—showing how prescribed rites at a tirtha are undertaken to discharge inherited obligations.