Shloka 30
The Greatness of Gayā
Gayā-Māhātmya
पिंडप्रदानं विधिना प्रयच्छत्तावद्वियत्युत्त ममूर्तियुक्तान् । पश्यन् स पुंसः सितरक्तकृष्णानुवाच राजा किमिदं भवंतः ॥ ३० ॥
piṃḍapradānaṃ vidhinā prayacchattāvadviyatyutta mamūrtiyuktān | paśyan sa puṃsaḥ sitaraktakṛṣṇānuvāca rājā kimidaṃ bhavaṃtaḥ || 30 ||
当国王依仪轨供献皮ṇḍa（祭祖的饭团）之时，忽见虚空中有殊胜具身之众——或白、或赤、或黑。见之，王问曰：“汝等是谁？此为何事？”
King (rājā) speaking to the apparitional beings during the śrāddha/piṇḍa-pradāna episode
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"bhayanaka","emotional_journey":"A ritual act (piṇḍa-pradāna) is suddenly interrupted by a wondrous, unsettling vision of colored embodied beings in the sky, prompting anxious inquiry."}
FAQs
It highlights that śrāddha and piṇḍa-pradāna are not merely symbolic—performed correctly, they connect the performer to subtle realms, where the results of karma and ancestral states may become perceptible.
While the verse is primarily ritual-focused, it supports bhakti-based dharma by showing that prescribed offerings done with reverence and faith (śraddhā) align human action with cosmic order, a key devotional attitude in Purāṇic practice.
Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implied through “vidhinā”—the correct method of śrāddha and piṇḍa-pradāna, where precise injunction-following determines the intended ritual efficacy.