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Shloka 3

The Greatness of Gayā

Gayā-Māhātmya

गयातीर्थं तु विख्यातं कथं लोके द्विजोत्तम । तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कृपां कृत्वाधुना वद ॥ ३ ॥

gayātīrthaṃ tu vikhyātaṃ kathaṃ loke dvijottama | tadahaṃ śrotumicchāmi kṛpāṃ kṛtvādhunā vada || 3 ||

O pinakamainam sa mga dalawang-ulit na isinilang, paano naging tanyag sa daigdig ang banal na tīrtha ng Gayā? Nais kong marinig iyon—sa habag mo, sabihin mo ngayon.

gayā-tīrthamthe Gayā pilgrimage-place
gayā-tīrtham:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootgayā (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; samāsa: gayāyāḥ tīrtham (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
tuindeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, particle
vikhyātamis renowned
vikhyātam:
Kriya (क्रिया/participial predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-khyā (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular; predicate of gayātīrtham
kathamhow
katham:
Prakāra (प्रकार/interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, interrogative adverb (प्रश्नाव्यय)
lokein the world
loke:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootloka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th), Singular
dvija-uttamaO best of the twice-born
dvija-uttama:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th), Singular; karmadhāraya: uttamaḥ dvijaḥ
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म/object of śrotum)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormDemonstrative pronoun, Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; refers to the matter (how it is renowned)
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormPronoun, Nominative (1st), Singular
śrotumto hear
śrotum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose complement)
TypeVerb
Rootśru (धातु)
FormInfinitive (तुमुन्), indeclinable verbal (अव्यय)
icchāmidesire
icchāmi:
Kriya (क्रिया/main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootiṣ (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada
kṛpāmmercy
kṛpām:
Karma (कर्म/object of kṛtvā)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
kṛtvāhaving done, showing
kṛtvā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/preceding action)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable verbal
adhunānow
adhunā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootadhunā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, temporal adverb (कालवाचक)
vadatell (me)
vada:
Kriya (क्रिया/imperative)
TypeVerb
Rootvad (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada

Narada (inquiring)

Vrata: none

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"Curiosity and reverence rise together as the speaker petitions compassionately for the origin-fame of Gayā-tīrtha."}

G
Gaya

FAQs

It formally opens the Gaya-tīrtha narrative by asking for the cause of Gayā’s worldwide fame, signaling that its sanctity is grounded in a specific dharmic-mahātmya (sacred history and ritual potency).

Bhakti appears here as humility and earnest seeking: the speaker requests teaching “out of compassion,” establishing the devotional mood (śraddhā and vinaya) that frames later descriptions of sacred acts performed with faith.

The verse points toward tīrtha-dharma and pitṛ-related rites (such as śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna at Gayā), which belong to applied ritual knowledge (kalpa/ācāra) rather than grammar or astrology in this specific line.