Shloka 40

The Greatness of Gayā

Gayā-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

तीर्थप्रभावाद्यत्नेन ब्रह्मघ्नस्यापि वै पितुः । गयायां पिंडदानेन कुर्यादुद्धरणं सुतः ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

tīrthaprabhāvādyatnena brahmaghnasyāpi vai pituḥ | gayāyāṃ piṃḍadānena kuryāduddharaṇaṃ sutaḥ || 40 ||

Translation

Sa bisa ng banal na tīrtha, nararapat na taimtim na maghandog ang anak ng piṇḍa sa Gayā upang mailigtas ang kanyang ama—kahit ang ama ay nagkasala ng brahma-hatyā, ang pagpatay sa isang brāhmaṇa.

Word by Word

• tīrtha-prabhāvāt: from the power of the sacred place
• tīrtha-prabhāvāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tīrthasya prabhāvaḥ)

• yatnena: with effort
• yatnena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• brahma-ghnasya: of a slayer of a brāhmaṇa
• brahma-ghnasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (brahmaṇaḥ ghnaḥ)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), concessive/emphatic

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• pituḥ: of the father
• pituḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• gayāyām: in Gayā
• gayāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• piṇḍa-dānena: by offering the piṇḍa (funeral oblation)
• piṇḍa-dānena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (piṇḍasya dānam)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• uddharaṇam: deliverance
• uddharaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• sutaḥ: the son
• sutaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Narada (teaching in the Gaya-tirtha context; traditionally within Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frames)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Gaya

FAQs

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

It teaches the exceptional salvific power (tīrtha-prabhāva) of Gayā: sincere piṇḍa-dāna performed by a son can uplift and deliver the father, even when the father bears the burden of a grave sin like brahma-hatyā.

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

While framed as a śrāddha rite, the verse emphasizes earnestness (yatna) and faith in sacred dharma at a tīrtha—an applied form of devotion expressed through service to the pitṛs and reverence for the sacred place’s divine potency.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) is foremost: the śrāddha/ancestral rite of piṇḍa-dāna at a designated tīrtha (Gayā), showing how correct ritual action and place-specific injunctions are used for pitṛ-upliftment.