Shloka 33
The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya
गयां दृष्ट्वा तु सुभगे महापापोऽपि पातकी । पूतः कृत्याधिकारी च श्राद्धकृद्ब्रह्मलोकभाक् ॥ ३३ ॥
gayāṃ dṛṣṭvā tu subhage mahāpāpo'pi pātakī | pūtaḥ kṛtyādhikārī ca śrāddhakṛdbrahmalokabhāk || 33 ||
O mapalad, kahit ang isang makasalanang mabigat—bagaman nabahiran ng kasalanan—ay nalilinis sa pagtanaw lamang sa Gayā; nagiging karapat-dapat siyang magsagawa ng itinakdang ritwal para sa mga ninuno, at ang gumaganap ng śrāddha roon ay nakakamit ang daigdig ni Brahmā.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"From the anxiety of grave sin to reassurance and calm through the purifying sight of Gayā and the promise of higher attainment."}
FAQs
It declares the extraordinary purifying power of Gayā: mere darśana (seeing the tīrtha) cleanses even grave sin, and performing śrāddha there grants exalted post-mortem merit culminating in Brahmaloka.
By emphasizing tīrtha-darśana and śrāddha as sacred acts done with faith (śraddhā), it frames devotion as reverent participation in dharmic worship and ancestral offerings at a Viṣṇu-associated pilgrimage center (Gayā is widely upheld in Purāṇic tradition as a premier śrāddha-tīrtha).
Ritual application (kalpa/śrauta-smārta procedure) is implied: the verse stresses adhikāra (eligibility) for kṛtya—especially pitṛ-karman like śrāddha—showing how correct rite-performance at a designated tīrtha is central to Purāṇic dharma practice.