Shloka 73

The Greatness of Gayā

Gayā-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

स्नायीत भास्मना तत्र अभिगम्य वृषध्वजम् । ब्राह्मणानां भवेद्देवि व्रतं द्वादशवार्षिकम् ॥ ७३ ॥

Transliteration

snāyīta bhāsmanā tatra abhigamya vṛṣadhvajam | brāhmaṇānāṃ bhaveddevi vrataṃ dvādaśavārṣikam || 73 ||

Translation

وہاں مقدس بھسم سے اشنان کرکے وِرشَدھوج (شیو) کے حضور جانا چاہیے۔ اے دیوی، برہمنوں کے لیے یہ ورت بارہ برس کا ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• स्नायीत: should bathe
• स्नायीत: क्रिया (Kriyā/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; विधि (should bathe)

• भास्मना: with ash
• भास्मना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• अभिगम्य: having approached
• अभिगम्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Pūrvakriyā/Anterior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle): having approached

• वृषध्वजम्: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)
• वृषध्वजम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषध्वज (प्रातिपदिक: वृष + ध्वज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; शिवस्य विशेषण-नाम (one whose banner is the bull)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्वादशवार्षिकम्: of twelve years
• द्वादशवार्षिकम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश-वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक: द्वादश + वार्षिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying व्रतम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (dialogue voice addressing Devī; likely a Purāṇic narrator within the Uttara-Bhāga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Dvādaśavārṣika-vrata (twelve-year vow)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)
• Devī
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

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

It links purification (bhasma-snāna) with direct worship of Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja) and frames the act as a rigorous, merit-bearing vrata—especially weighty when undertaken by brāhmaṇas for an extended twelve-year term.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined approach (abhigamya) and ritual purity leading to darśana/worship of the deity; devotion is not only feeling but sustained commitment through a long vrata.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied: bathing rites with bhasma, rules of approach to a deity, and the formal classification of a dvādaśavārṣika (twelve-year) vrata as a structured observance.