Shloka 16
Names of Priyavrata’s Sons; Division of the Seven Continents; Sapta-dvīpa and Meru Description; Nābhi–Ṛṣabha–Bharata Lineage
सुतस्तस्मादथै जातः प्रस्तारस्तत्सुतो विभुः / पृथुश्च तत्सुतो नक्तो नक्तस्यापि गयः स्मृतः
sutastasmādathai jātaḥ prastārastatsuto vibhuḥ / pṛthuśca tatsuto nakto naktasyāpi gayaḥ smṛtaḥ
اس سے سُت پیدا ہوا؛ اور سُت کا بیٹا عظیم وِبھُو پرستار تھا۔ اس کا بیٹا پرتھو؛ پرتھو کا بیٹا نکت؛ اور نکت کا بیٹا گَیَہ کے نام سے یاد کیا جاتا ہے۔
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Historical continuity culminating in culturally sacred nodes (names that become tīrtha-identities).
Vedantic Theme: Providential unfolding of sacred history within saṃsāra; dharma is carried through time by persons and places.
Application: Read genealogies as maps of sacred memory: names can signal later ritual geographies and duties.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha-city (implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.55 (immediately transitions to cosmography/regions); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections that elevate Gayā-śrāddha (general internal thematic link)
FAQs
This verse places Gaya within a remembered lineage, supporting Gaya’s traditional sanctity—later associated with śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna for ancestors in Hindu practice.
It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; instead, it provides genealogical context, a common Purāṇic method for grounding sacred places and later ritual teachings in authoritative tradition.
Use it as a reference for understanding why certain tirthas (like Gaya) are revered in śrāddha traditions, and as a reminder to preserve family and cultural memory with accuracy.