Shloka 19
Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs
गोमकं गोपतिं देवं पितॄणामनृणो भवेत् / अङ्गारेशं च सिद्धेशं गयादित्यं गजं तथा
gomakaṃ gopatiṃ devaṃ pitṝṇāmanṛṇo bhavet / aṅgāreśaṃ ca siddheśaṃ gayādityaṃ gajaṃ tathā
เมื่อสักการะหรือระลึกถึงโคมกะและโคปติเทวะ ย่อมพ้นจากหนี้ต่อปิตฤ (บรรพชน). อีกทั้งควรนอบน้อมอังคาเรศะ สิทธิเศวร คยาอาทิตย์ยะ และคชะด้วย.
Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)
Beneficiary: Pitr
Concept: Ṛṇa-traya focus: one must become ‘anṛṇa’ (free of debt), especially toward pitṛs; sacred worship supports fulfillment of ancestral duty.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as purifier of the mind (citta-śuddhi) enabling higher pursuit; honoring pitṛs as part of cosmic order (ṛta/dharma).
Application: Perform śrāddha/tarpaṇa and maintain family responsibilities; if pilgrimage is impossible, do sankalpa, charity in ancestors’ name, and regular remembrance.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha/temple-shrine circuit
Related Themes: Garuda Purana sections on śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna, and pitṛ-gati (elsewhere in the text); Adjacent 1.83 verses enumerating Gayā shrines and their fruits
FAQs
This verse states that honoring specific sacred forms/names (such as Gomaka and Gopati Deva) leads to becoming anṛṇa—released from the binding obligation toward the Pitṛs—highlighting ancestor duty as a key part of dharma.
By emphasizing freedom from Pitṛ-ṛṇa, the verse implies that fulfilling ancestral obligations supports spiritual order and removes impediments connected with lineage-based duties, which the Garuda Purana frequently links with post-death well-being and ritual continuity.
Maintain regular śrāddha/tarpaṇa (as per one’s tradition), remember sacred names with devotion, and live responsibly toward family lineage—treating ancestor duty as an ethical and ritual commitment rather than mere formality.