Shloka 53
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
कांक्षंति पितरः पुत्रान्नरकस्य भयार्द्दिताः । गयां यास्यति यः पुत्रः सोऽस्मान्संतारयिष्यति ॥ ५३ ॥
kāṃkṣaṃti pitaraḥ putrānnarakasya bhayārdditāḥ | gayāṃ yāsyati yaḥ putraḥ so'smānsaṃtārayiṣyati || 53 ||
Dahil sa takot sa naraka, ang mga Pitṛ (mga ninuno) ay nananabik sa mga anak na lalaki—iniisip: “Ang anak na lalaking tutungo sa Gayā, siya ang magtatawid at magliligtas sa amin mula sa pagdurusa.”
Narada (within the Gaya-Mahatmya discourse, narrating the salvific power of Gayā rites for Pitṛs)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"karuna","secondary_rasa":"bhayanaka","emotional_journey":"Begins with the ancestors’ fear of naraka and yearning for rescue, then turns toward hope and trust in the son’s Gayā-yātrā as deliverance."}
FAQs
It presents Gayā as a preeminent tirtha for Pitṛ-upliftment: the ancestors’ hope rests on a descendant performing Gayā-related rites that ‘carry them across’ suffering and fearful states like naraka.
By emphasizing pilgrimage and ancestral offerings at a sacred Vishnu-associated tirtha like Gayā, it frames devotion as expressed through dharmic acts (tirtha-sevā, śrāddha, tarpaṇa) performed with faith for the welfare of others.
It points to Kalpa (ritual procedure) in the form of śrāddha/tarpaṇa and tirtha-vidhi at Gayā—practical dharma-kāṇḍa actions undertaken for Pitṛs’ benefit.