Shloka 5
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
यत्रैषा पितृभिर्गीता गाथा योगमभीप्सुभिः । एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोऽपि गयां व्रजेत् ॥ ५ ॥
yatraiṣā pitṛbhirgītā gāthā yogamabhīpsubhiḥ | eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyeko'pi gayāṃ vrajet || 5 ||
وہیں پِتروں نے خود یہ گاتھا گائی، جسے یوگ کے مشتاق سنتے ہیں—“بہت سے بیٹوں کی آرزو کرنی چاہیے؛ کیونکہ اگر اُن میں سے ایک بھی گیا جائے تو۔”
Narada (teaching in the Gaya Mahatmya context; verse attributed as a gāthā of the Pitṛs)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It elevates Gayā as a highly efficacious tīrtha for Pitṛ-related merit and liberation-oriented aims, stating that even a single descendant’s pilgrimage to Gayā can fulfill an important ancestral purpose, hence the cultural emphasis on lineage and śrāddha-supporting duties.
While framed around Pitṛ-dharma, it supports Bhakti-oriented practice indirectly: tīrtha-yātrā and śrāddha at Gayā are performed with śraddhā (faith) and remembrance of the divine order, integrating devotion with duty and making ritual action a vehicle for inner purification.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied—especially śrāddha/tarpaṇa and tīrtha-vidhi connected with Gayā—showing how dhārmic rites for ancestors are structured and why specific sacred locations are prescribed for them.