Gayā

Gayā is the foremost pitṛ-tīrtha (a sacred place for rites for the ancestors) in Bhārata. It lies in a kshetra of five krośas beside the Phalgu river. Bhagavān Vishṇu is permanently established here as Gadāpāṇi or Gadādhara, Vishṇu who bears the mace (gadā). The Varāha Purāṇa calls Gayā the most powerful pitṛ-tīrtha.

A single piṇḍa-dāna (an offering of rice balls) at Gayā has the power to lift the ancestors out of even the worst naraka (hell). Many Purāṇas describe the place: the Varāha, Agni, Kūrma, Nārada, Garuḍa and Vāyu Purāṇas and the Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa.

Bhagavān Vishṇu at Gayā

The Varāha Purāṇa says:

“In this tīrtha, Vishṇu bearing the gadā (mace), Gadāpāṇi, is established. It is precisely because of this that Gayā has attained its great name and fame.”

Sanatkumāra is a mind-born son of Brahmā who lives in Janaloka. He confirms this to Raikhya:

“O best of brāhmaṇas! In this tīrtha, Gadāpāṇi, Śrī Mahāvishṇu, is established. You have therefore received the darśana (sight) of Nārāyaṇa himself, O Raikhya!”

The power of Gayā śrāddha

Redemption of the ancestors

The Varāha Purāṇa (Chapter 7) tells of King Viśāla. His brāhmaṇas advised him:

“Go to Gayā, perform many anna-dānas (gifts of food), and satisfy the pitṛ devatās. You will certainly beget a son who will be a great donor and ruler of the earth.”

Viśāla offered piṇḍa-dāna at Gayā. Three of his ancestors then appeared before him in the sky. They wore white, green and red, which matched their different karmas. The three are:

• Sita, his father, in white. He was virtuous and had reached Indra’s throne.
• Raktavarṇa, his grandfather, in red. He had committed brahmahatyā (the killing of a brāhmaṇa) and had been in the Avīci naraka.
• Kṛshṇa, his great-grandfather, in black. He had killed many ancient ṛshis and had also stayed in the Avīci naraka for a long time.

The white-robed one said:

“Son, I am your father. By your piṇḍa offering at this tīrtha, all three of us have been united. Because of this tīrtha’s power, we will go to Pitṛ-loka. There is no doubt.”

“Even if a father committed brahmahatyā, a son’s piṇḍa-dāna at this tīrtha can redeem him. This is the greatness of this tīrtha.”

The unique power of Gayā

The text declares:

“Going to Gayā even once, and offering piṇḍa once, is an extremely difficult achievement. And you (Raikhya) live there permanently!”

Some ancestors had fallen into terrible lower births (durgati) and very degraded states (parama-vikāra). Through a descendant’s piṇḍa-dāna at Gayā they reached sadgati (a good end, liberation).

Raikhya at Gayā

The Varāha Purāṇa (Chapter 7) says that the ṛshi Raikhya learned that his friend Vasu had attained siddha perfection. He then went to Gayā and offered piṇḍa-dāna to his ancestors with great devotion.

After that he practised hard tapas (austerity). While he did so, the great yogi Sanatkumāra arrived on a vimāna (a heavenly vehicle) as bright as the sun and as small as an atom. Sanatkumāra said to him:

“Best of brāhmaṇas! You are truly blessed, for you love the Vedic word deeply. You have come to Gayā and are satisfying the pitṛ devatās with mantras, vratas (vows), japas, homas and piṇḍa-dānas.”

Sanatkumāra praised Raikhya’s puṇya (merit). He told the account of Viśāla as an example. Then he said:

“One visit to Gayā and one piṇḍa-dāna is itself an immensely difficult accomplishment. You live there permanently!”

Raikhya then composed a Gadādhara stotra (a hymn of praise) and worshipped Bhagavān Vishṇu. Bhagavān Vishṇu appeared and told him: “You shall dwell where Sanaka and the other siddha mahārshis live.”

Gadādhara stotra of Raikhya

Raikhya praised Bhagavān Vishṇu as Gadādhara (Varāha Purāṇa, Chapter 7):

“Salutation to Gadādhara, who is praised by the wise, who bears the earth, who destroys the sorrow of the hungry multitude, whose form is auspicious, who crushes the vast army of asuras, and who destroys all suffering the moment he is remembered.”

“Salutation to the Gadādhara who with three strides quelled Bali and lifted Bhūdevī. He is the Purāṇa-purusha who protects all humanity.”

“He delivers me from this saṃsāra, an ocean with waves of sorrow, whirlpools of old age and terrifying crocodiles of separation, as a boat does. May that Gadādhara deliver me!”

“In each yuga he took birth as Brahmā to create, as Vishṇu to protect and as Rudra to dissolve. May that Gadādhara be victorious!”

Gayā in the Agni Purāṇa

The Agni Mahā Purāṇa gives three chapters (114–116) to Gayā. They tell how the tīrtha arose from the body of the asura Gayāsura. They also give a day-by-day pilgrim’s route with named kuṇḍas (sacred pools) and rites of pitṛ-tarpaṇa (offering of water to the ancestors).

Gayāsura (Chapter 114)

In the earliest times the asura Gayāsura did such fierce tapas that the devatās were afflicted. They took refuge with Bhagavān Vishṇu at the Kshīrasāgara (Ocean of Milk). Bhagavān Vishṇu came to Gayāsura and offered him a vara (a boon). Gayāsura asked: “May I become more sacred than all tīrthas.” Bhagavān Vishṇu granted it. After that, every human who saw Gayāsura reached Vishṇu’s realm directly. The earth and svarga (heaven) fell empty.

The devatās went back to Bhagavān Vishṇu in alarm. He told Brahmā to go to Gayāsura and ask for his sacred body as the ground for a yajña. Brahmā went with the devatās and said: “O best of daityas, I have come to your door as a guest. Give me your pure body for a yajña.” Gayāsura said “tathāstu” (so be it) and lay down on the earth. Brahmā began the yajña on his head.

At the moment of the pūrṇāhuti (the final offering), Gayāsura’s body began to move. Brahmā told Bhagavān Vishṇu. Bhagavān Vishṇu called Dharma-devatā. He told him to place a dharmamaya śilā (a stone full of dharma) on the asura’s body, with all the devatās seated on it. He added that Bhagavān Vishṇu’s own Gadādhara mūrti would also be present on the stone.

Origin of the Gadādhara śilā

The stone has its own account. Dharma’s wife Dharmāvatī bore him a daughter, Dharmavatā (also called Dharmavratā), a great tapasvinī. She was married to Marīci Maharshi. One day Marīci came back from the forest tired. He told Dharmavratā to press his feet, and he fell asleep. At that moment Brahmā arrived. She reasoned that Brahmā was her husband’s guru as well as his father and deserved pūjā. So she left Marīci’s side to honour Brahmā.

Marīci woke and found her gone. He laid a śāpa (a curse) on her: “May you become a stone.” Dharmavratā knew she was blameless. She answered that Śiva would give Marīci a śāpa too. Then she did hard tapas in fire for thousands of years. Bhagavān Vishṇu and the devatās were pleased and appeared. They said that Marīci’s śāpa could not be undone, but: “You shall become a supremely sacred śilā bearing the footprints of all the devatās. You shall be called Deva-vratā, Deva-śilā, Sarva-deva-svarūpā, Sarva-tīrthamayī and Puṇya-śilā.” Dharmavratā asked that Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra and all the devatās, with Gaurī and Lakshmī, should always shine forth from her. This too was granted. This is the sacred stone that Dharma-devatā placed on Gayāsura’s body.

Gadādhara installed at Gayā

Even with the divine śilā on him, Gayāsura kept moving. The devatās seated on the stone moved with him. They begged Bhagavān Vishṇu, and he gave his own Gadādhara mūrti to be placed on the stone. The presence of Gadādhara stilled Gayāsura completely. Brahmā finished the pūrṇāhuti.

Gayāsura accepted his part and asked for a vara. The devatās granted three things. His kshetra would be the home of Brahmā, Vishṇu and Maheśvara. It would be praised above all tīrthas. It would give brahma-loka to the pitṛ-devatās of those who offer śrāddha there.

When the yajña was done, Brahmā gave the ṛtvijas (the priests of the yajña) a kshetra of five krośas around Gayā with fifty-five villages. He also gave them mountains of gold, rivers flowing with honey, lakes full of curds (dadhi) and honey (madhu), mountains of food (anna), a Kāmadhenu and a Kalpa-vṛksha. In this way the divine form of Ādi-Gadādhara, the most ancient of all Gadādhara mūrtis, was established at Gayā for ever.

The pilgrim’s route (Chapters 115–116)

The Agni Purāṇa gives a detailed day-by-day route for the Gayā-yātrā. A pilgrim who means to go to Gayā must first perform śrāddha at home by the set rules. He then puts on the garb of a pilgrim (tīrtha-yātrā-vesha) and walks around his village (pradakshiṇā). Each day he travels on foot, keeps his senses and mind in check and accepts no gifts (pratigraha). From the moment he steps out of his home bound for Gayā, each step becomes a svarga-sopāna, a stepping-stone to svarga, for his pitṛ-devatās (Chapter 115).

The Agni Purāṇa says that the puṇya of going to Gayā for the śrāddha of one’s pitṛs is greater than brahma-jñāna (knowledge of Brahman). It is greater even than the merit of saving a thousand cows from distress. When the son arrives at Gayā, the pitṛs rejoice and say: “Will he touch our feet with his feet at the water’s edge and offer us tarpaṇa?” Such is the longing of the ancestors for the Gayā-piṇḍa (Chapter 115).

Day one: Uttara-Mānasa tīrtha. The pilgrim bathes in Uttara-Mānasa tīrtha and declares that he means to bring all his ancestors to svarga. Bathing in this supremely sacred tīrtha gives long life (āyus) and health (ārogya), destroys heaps of pāpa (sin) and grants moksha. He then offers tarpaṇa to the devatās, the pitṛs and the nine or twelve devatās of the śrāddha. Next he goes in silence to Dakshiṇa-Mānasa tīrtha. He bathes again, meaning to give all earlier generations (pūrva-purushas) a way to svarga. He performs snāna-piṇḍa-dāna and offers tarpaṇa, reciting the names of the solar deva and of the great pitṛ-devatās. These include Soma, Maṅgala, Budha, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Śani, Rāhu and Ketu (Chapter 115).

Valgutīrtha, the head of Gayā. The Agni Purāṇa calls Valgutīrtha the śiras (head) of the Gayā kshetra. It is higher even than Uttara-Mānasa and Dakshiṇa-Mānasa. All tīrthas and lakes on earth, up to the ocean, come to Valgutīrtha once a day. One who bathes there gives his pitṛs brahma-loka and gains both bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (release) for himself. After bathing at Valgutīrtha the pilgrim takes darśana of Gadādhara and says his prayer (Chapter 115).

Kanakhala kshetra. North of the Maṇḍapa-vṛksha lies the Kanakhala kshetra. It is honoured by ṛshis and the chiefs of the devatās and is famous in the three worlds. Great nāgas guard it every day, and their moving tongues can be seen. The nāgas bring joy to the siddhas but terror to the impure. After bathing here the pilgrim enjoys happiness in this world and reaches svarga at death (Chapter 115).

Dharmāraṇya and Mataṅgāśrama. The next day the pilgrim visits Dharmāraṇya. He bathes in the Mataṅga-vāpī (the Mataṅga well) at Mataṅgāśrama and offers piṇḍa-dāna there. He then honours Mataṅgeśvara and Susiddheśvara. He declares aloud, with all the devatās as witnesses, that he has come to Mataṅga-tīrtha and has lifted up his pitṛs (Chapter 115).

Brahma-tīrtha kuṇḍa. The pilgrim bathes, offers tarpaṇa and performs śrāddha in the Brahma-tīrtha kuṇḍa. Śrāddha offered in the space between this kuṇḍa and the yūpa (the post of the yajña) lifts up one hundred generations of ancestors. To bow down before the Mahābodhi-vṛksha leads to svarga (Chapter 115).

Third day: Brahma-sarovara tīrtha. On the third day the pilgrim keeps his vrata and bathes in Brahma-sarovara tīrtha, meaning to give brahma-loka to his pitṛs. He offers tarpaṇa and piṇḍa-dāna. He then walks around the yūpa that Brahmā himself set up. Those who want the fruit of the Vājapeya-yajña should make this pradakshiṇā (Chapter 115).

Chapter 116: the route continues. On the Mahānadī the pilgrim bathes with the Gāyatrī mantra and performs sandhyā. Śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna before Gāyatrī-devī at sunrise give akshaya-phala (imperishable fruit). The pilgrim then enters the Yoni-dvāra (a sacred passage) and comes out of it. This acts out freedom from rebirth through the mother’s womb. One who does this does not enter a mother’s womb again and is freed from punar-janma (rebirth).

Soma-kuṇḍa and Vaitaraṇī tīrtha. The pilgrim offers piṇḍa-dāna at the Soma-kuṇḍa tīrtha, the Svarga-dvāra, the Ākāśa-gaṅgā and the Kapilā bank. He honours Kapileśvara Śiva. At the Vaitaraṇī he bows to a cow and offers piṇḍa-dāna. This lifts up twenty-one generations.

Preta-śilā. The Preta-śilā is divine in nature (deva-rūpa) and supremely sacred. The Agni Purāṇa says the whole Gayā kshetra is devamayī, divine in essence. A piṇḍa-dāna offered to any ancestor at Preta-śilā establishes that ancestor in the sanātana brahma.

Final veneration of Gadādhara. The pilgrimage ends with a stuti (praise) of Gadādhara. The Agni Purāṇa records this prayer:

“I bow to Gadādhara, the Ādi-deva, the bearer of the gadā, the dweller of Gayā, the giver of sadgati to the pitṛs, the bestower of yoga. He is free of body, senses, mind, buddhi, prāṇa and ahaṅkāra. He is by nature nitya-śuddha, nitya-buddha and nitya-mukta (ever pure, ever awake, ever free). He is dvaita-śūnya (free of duality). Both devas and dānavas praise him. I bow at his feet, he who removes the kalmashas (stains) and troubles of the Kali-yuga.”

With this prayer, the Agni Purāṇa declares that piṇḍa-śrāddha performed at Gayā is akshaya and gives the akshaya brahma-loka. It also says that whoever reads this Gayā-māhātmya at śrāddha occasions reaches brahma-loka.

Gayā in the Kūrma Purāṇa

The Uttarardha of the Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa adds a Śaiva view of Gayā. It says that Gayā bears the pādacihna (footprint) of Parameśvara Rudra on a rock in the kshetra. This mark was left in the earliest times and is the living sign of Rudra’s presence here. Those who offer piṇḍas at Gayā offer them in Rudra’s direct presence. Rudra’s śakti carries the offering to the pitṛs in their own lokas.

The Uttarardha says further that a piṇḍa offered at Gayā gives a fruit beyond ordinary pitṛ-tarpaṇa. The ancestors for whom it is offered do not face punarbhava (rebirth); they do not return to saṃsāra. This release reaches even ancestors who died in pāpa or in hard circumstances. The pitṛs, living in their own lokas, sing of those descendants who will come to Gayā and offer piṇḍa. They look forward with longing to the liberation that the Gayā-piṇḍa gives them.

Gayā in the Nārada Purāṇa

The Uttarardha of the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa gives four chapters (44–47) to the Gayā Māhātmya. The purohita Vāsu tells it to Mohinī. It holds an account of Gayāsura’s origin, a statement of the ancestors’ longing, a day-by-day pilgrim’s route with mantras, and the piṇḍadāna of Bhīshma and of Rāmacandra.

The song of the pitṛs

The Uttarardha opens the Gayā section with the verses of the ancestors’ longing:

“May we have many sons. Among them, may at least one go to Gayā. May he perform an Aśvamedha. May he release a dark bull (nīla-vṛshabha) in our name.”

The pitṛs live in their own lokas and look toward their descendants with hope. This song frames the whole Gayā Māhātmya (Chapter 44).

Gayāsura in the Nārada Purāṇa

In this account Gayāsura did such fierce tapas that all living beings were scorched by its heat. The devatās, overpowered, went to Śrī Hari for refuge. Śrī Hari told them: “All of you take Śiva-forms and dwell within Gayāsura’s body.” The devatās agreed and entered Gayāsura’s body in Śiva’s form (Śiva-svarūpa).

Once Gayāsura was fetching lotuses from the Kshīrasāgara for Śiva-pūjā. He had made a resting place for Śrī Hari nearby. Deluded by Vishṇu-māyā, he was struck down by Śrī Hari’s gadā. From then on Gadādhara Vishṇu, the bearer of the mace, became the permanent giver of moksha at Gayā. Brahmā established himself in the form of a liṅga within Gayāsura’s body. The kshetra of Gayā, spreading over five krośas, became the supreme pitṛ-tīrtha of all Bhārata (Chapter 44).

Brahmā’s yajña and the śāpa on the Phalgu

After Gayāsura’s death, Brahmā performed a great yajña at Gayā and invited all ṛshis and brāhmaṇas. He made the Sarasvatī river appear there, flowing to all the horizons. He gave the Kāmadhenu, food and wealth to all who were present. Some brāhmaṇas, out of greed (vitta-lobha), took more than their due. Brahmā laid a śāpa on them:

“Your knowledge shall not spread widely. Your wealth shall not last three generations. And the river here shall become rocky and stony in your regard.”

This is why the bed of the Phalgu river at Gayā is rocky and sandy. It stands as a witness to Brahmā’s śāpa on those who took more than was proper (Chapter 44).

The four paths to mukti

The Uttarardha names four kinds of liberation in the śāstra:

1. Brahma-jñāna: knowledge of Brahman.
2. Gayā-śrāddha: piṇḍadāna at Gayā.
3. Go-śālā-maraṇa: dying in a cow-pen.
4. Kurukshetra-nivāsa: living at Kurukshetra.

All the oceans, rivers and sacred waters of the three worlds come to Gayā to bathe. All the mahāpātakas (the great pāpas) are destroyed by Gayā-śrāddha. They are brahmahatyā, surāpāna (drinking liquor), steya (theft) and guru-aṅganā-gamana (going to a guru’s wife) (Chapter 44).

The three ancestors of King Viśāla

The Uttarardha says that in the Tretāyuga King Viśāla of Viśālapurī offered piṇḍadāna at Gayā, on the advice of his brāhmaṇas, to obtain a son. As he finished the offering, three figures appeared in the sky: a man in white, a man in red and a man in dark robes.

The man in white spoke:

“I am your father, Sita. By the power of your piṇḍa at this tīrtha, all three of us have been united. This grandfather (red, Raktavarṇa) was in the Avīci naraka for brahmahatyā. This great-grandfather (dark, Kṛshṇa) was there for killing ancient ṛshis. By the power of this tīrtha, both have been freed. We three go now to Pitṛ-loka. Even a father guilty of brahmahatyā can be redeemed by a son’s piṇḍa at this tīrtha.”

The Uttarardha also tells of a preta (a restless departed spirit) who appeared to a merchant (vaṇija). The preta told him his names in secret and asked him to offer piṇḍadāna at Gayā-kūpa in his name. The merchant did so. The preta at once gained brāhmaṇatva and went to brahma-loka (Chapter 44).

Piṇḍadāna vidhi, the rite (Chapters 45–46)

The Uttarardha gives the fullest account of the piṇḍadāna rite at Gayā. It is arranged around the Pañcatīrtha, the five chief holy stations visited over successive days.

1. Preta-śilā. This is Prabhāsātri’s stone, and the Prabhāseśa liṅga is here. Piṇḍadāna here destroys the ancestors’ state as pretas.
2. Phalu-tīrtha (Phalgu). It is declared to be Gadādhara Vishṇu himself in liquid form. All the tīrthas of the universe come to bathe here. Bathing here gives the merit of 1,000 Aśvamedhas. The text says: “Gaṅgā is Vishṇu-pādodaka (the water that washed Vishṇu’s feet). Phalu-tīrtha is Gadādhara himself, and is therefore even greater than Gaṅgā.”
3. Uttara-Mānasa. This is the first tīrtha for bathing. Nine or more generations are lifted up.
4. Dakshiṇa-Mānasa. It has three smaller tīrthas. One faces south during piṇḍadāna. One calls on Kavyavāhana, Anala, Soma, Yama, Aryamā, Agnishvātta, Barhishada and Somapa.
5. Brahma-tīrtha-kuṇḍa. Piṇḍadāna between this kuṇḍa and the yūpa lifts up one hundred generations. Walking around the Brahma-yūpa gives the phala of the Vājapeya.

A mantra is given for bathing at Rāma-tīrtha:

Rāma rāma mahābāho devānām abhayaṃkara /
tvāṃ namasyāmi deveśa mama naśyatu pātakam

The meaning: O Rāma of mighty arms, who gives the devas freedom from fear, I bow to you, master of the devas. May my pāpa be destroyed. Bathing here with this mantra destroys the pāpa of a thousand births and gives Vishṇu-loka.

The Vishṇvādi padas at Gayāśira

The Uttarardha teaches about the vishṇvādi padas, the divine footprints at Gayāśira. Gayāśira is the head of Gayā, and the text identifies it with the Muṇḍapṛshṭha mountain and the Phalu area. Piṇḍadāna at each pada gives its own fruit.

The most exalted padas, in order, are Kāśyapa-pada, Vishṇu-pada, Rudra-pada and Brahma-pada (Chapter 46).

Bhīshma and Rāmacandra at the padas

The Uttarardha records two well-known cases of piṇḍadāna at Gayāśira.

Bhīshma went to Vishṇu-pada and offered śrāddha. As he got ready to place the piṇḍa, his father Śantanu’s hands appeared, stretched out from svarga. Bhīshma had taken the brahmacarya vow. He knew that giving the piṇḍa into a hand is a householder’s right, and he had no such right. So he placed the piṇḍa on the Vishṇu-pada on the ground. Śantanu appeared and said: “You are firm in śāstrārtha (the meaning of the śāstra). Therefore you shall be a tri-kāla-darśī (one who sees past, present and future). You shall die by your own will (icchā-mṛtyu), and at the end you shall reach Vishṇu-loka.”

Śrī Rāmacandra went to Rudra-pada and got ready to offer piṇḍa. His father Daśaratha’s hand appeared, stretched out from svarga. Rāma feared breaking the śāstra. He placed the piṇḍa on the Rudra-pada and not in his father’s hand. Daśaratha said: “By placing the piṇḍa on Rudra-pada, you have freed me. I have received Rudra-loka. Had you placed it in my hand, I would only have received svarga. You shall rule for a long time and, with the people of Ayodhyā, go to Vishṇu-loka.” (Chapter 46)

Akshayavaṭa and the six Gayās

On the fifth day of the pilgrimage the pilgrim visits the Akshayavaṭa, the imperishable banyan tree at Gayāśira. Bhagavān Vishṇu lives here in the form of the Bāla-Yogaśāyin, a child resting in yoga-nidrā on a single leaf. Piṇḍadāna at the Akshayavaṭa establishes the ancestors in the sanātana Brahma-pura for ever (akshaya, it does not lessen). A mantra of bowing is spoken here:

“Salutation to the Akshayavaṭa, destroyer of the tree of saṃsāra, remover of all pāpa, giver of imperishable Brahman.”

The Uttarardha names six sacred Gayās, each of which gives mukti:

1. Gayāgaja: the divine elephant of Gayā.
2. Gayāditya: the Āditya (sun) of Gayā.
3. Gāyatrī: the Gāyatrī tīrtha.
4. Gadādhara: Vishṇu as Gadādhara.
5. Gayā: the kshetra itself.
6. Gayāśira: the head of Gayā (Muṇḍapṛshṭha).

Whoever performs vṛshotsarjana (the release of a bull) at Gayā lifts up twenty-one generations (Chapter 47).

Phalaśruti

The Uttarardha’s phalaśruti (the statement of fruit) for Gayā reads:

“This Gayā-māhātmya is pāpa-praśamana (destroyer of pāpa), pitṛ-mukti-dāyaka (giver of liberation to the ancestors), śubha-nilaya (abode of auspiciousness), parama-pāvana, dhanya, svarga-gati-dāyaka, yaśaskara, āyushyakara and putra-pautra-vivarddhana. Therefore it must be read and heard.”

Those who listen to this Gayā-māhātmya with bhakti reach brahma-loka, whether at śrāddha times, on parva days or every day (Chapter 47).

Gayā in the Garuḍa Purāṇa

Origin: Gayāsura and Vishṇu’s gadā

The Garuḍa Mahā Purāṇa gives its own account of the kshetra’s origin. An asura named Gaya did such severe tapas in this region that all three worlds blazed with its heat. The devas took refuge in Bhagavān Vishṇu. Bhagavān Vishṇu waited for a moment when Gayāsura had paused from his tapas. He came as Gadādhara, the wielder of the gadā, and slew the asura directly. Because of Gayāsura’s great tapas-śakti, the place became supremely holy. The tri-mūrtis (Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva) then entered Gayāsura’s purified body and made both the asura’s name and the kshetra more holy:

“Gayāsura’s body itself shall remain as this sacred kshetra. Those who perform snāna, yajña, śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna here with devotion shall not go to naraka. They shall reach svarga or Brahmaloka.”

Bhagavān Vishṇu as Gadādhara lives at this kshetra for ever and gives moksha to all pilgrims. Brahmā performed his own yajña here, knowing it to be the supreme kshetra of all the worlds. He gave the five-krośa region to the ṛtvik brāhmaṇas as their sacred home (Āchāra Khaṇḍa, Chapter 82).

The Gayā itinerary in the Garuḍa Purāṇa

The Garuḍa Purāṇa gives a day-by-day route for the Gayā pilgrimage. It begins with preparation at home.

Preparation. Before leaving, the pilgrim performs śrāddha at home, dresses as a sannyāsī, walks around the village and accepts only śrāddha-prasāda on the way. Every step taken toward Gayā is a svargārohaṇa sopāna (a step on the stairway to svarga) for his ancestors.

Day 1. Arrive at Gayā. Bathe at Phalgu tīrtha and offer tarpaṇas. Visit Siṃhadvāra. Perform śrāddha at Rudra-Kāleśvara and Kedāranātha. Visit Brahmā (Pitāmaha) and Gadādhara.

Day 2. Go to Dharmāraṇya and perform śrāddha at Mataṅgavāpī. Visit Brahma-tīrtha and the Kūpa and Yūpa tīrthas.

Day 3. Visit Brahmasada tīrtha, the Yūpa and Kūpa tīrthas, and Go-pracāra tīrtha, where the brāhmaṇas set up by Brahmā live.

Day 4. Bathe at Phalgu. Visit Gayāśīrsha. Perform śrāddha at Rudra-pādādi tīrthas and at the Vyāsa, Dehimukha, Pañcāgni, Padatraya, Sūrya, Soma and Kārttikeya tīrthas.

Day 5. Visit Gadālola tīrtha. Offer piṇḍa-dāna at the Akshaya-Vaṭa, the imperishable banyan. Worship Brahmā. Those who do this properly lift up a hundred generations.

A well-known saying runs: “Many sons should be wished for, so that even one of them may go to Gayā.” The Sanskrit is:

eshṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yady eko’pi gayāṃ vrajet

Chief tīrthas at Gayā

The Garuḍa Purāṇa lists these tīrthas and their fruits.

The formula for the piṇḍa given into Janārdana’s hand is:

Esha piṇḍo mayā dattaḥ tava haste Janārdana |
paraloke gate moksham akshayyam upatishṭhatām ||

The meaning: this piṇḍa is given by me into your hand, O Janārdana. When I have gone to the next world, may imperishable moksha be mine.

Viśāla the merchant: piṇḍa for a preta

The Garuḍa Purāṇa gives this account. A merchant (vaṇija) named Viśāla lived near the Gayā kshetra. A preta came to him and asked him to offer piṇḍa-dāna in its name at Gayāśīrsha. Viśāla did so. This freed the preta and his own ancestors. In a later life he was born as a prince in the Viśāla kingdom. After he visited Gayā again, three shining beings appeared in the sky: his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. All of them had been freed from naraka by his piṇḍa-dāna (Āchāra Khaṇḍa, Chapters 83–84).

Two verses in the Garuḍa Purāṇa

brahma-jñānaṃ gayā-śrāddhaṃ go-gṛhe maraṇaṃ tathā |
vāsaḥ puṃsāṃ kurukshetre muktir eshā catur-vidhā ||

The meaning: knowledge of Brahman, śrāddha at Gayā, dying in a cow’s house and living at Kurukshetra are the four kinds of mukti.

gayāyāṃ na hi tat sthānaṃ yatra tīrthaṃ na vidyate |
pañca-krośo gayā-kshetre yatra tatra tu piṇḍadaḥ |
akshayaṃ phalam āpnoti brahma lokaṃ nayet pitṝn ||

The meaning: in Gayā there is no spot that is not a tīrtha. Within the five-krośa Gayā kshetra, wherever one offers piṇḍa, he gains imperishable fruit and takes his ancestors to Brahmaloka.

Gayā in the Vāyu Purāṇa

The Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Uttarārdha, Chapter 7, gives a full account of Gayā’s origin and māhātmya. Sanatkumāra tells it to Nārada. It tells where Vishṇu’s gadā came from, tells of Dharmavratā, gives a four-day pilgrim’s route with mantras, and teaches about Ādigadādhara, Vishṇu as the first bearer of the mace.

Dharmaśilā

In the Vāyu Purāṇa the sacred Dharmaśilā of Gayā is the changed body of Dharmavratā, Dharma’s daughter and the wife of Marīci. Marīci laid a śāpa on her through a misunderstanding. She had left his feet to honour his father Brahmā, who had arrived. Dharmavratā did tapas in fire for thousands of years. From Bhagavān Vishṇu and the devas she won a vara: her rock body would be the most sacred substance in all creation, and all devas, tīrthas and ṛshis would live in it for ever.

Origin of the gadā

The Vāyu Purāṇa says how Bhagavān Vishṇu came to be Gadādhara. An asura named Gadu, whose body was harder than the vajra, gave his bones to Brahmā as a vara. Viśvakarmā made them into the gadā. This gadā was kept in svarga. Later the asura Heti gained invincibility and drove the devas out of svarga. The devas gave this gadā to Bhagavān Vishṇu. He killed Heti with it. He then placed the gadā on the Dharmaśilā to keep Gayāsura still for ever. From then on Bhagavān Vishṇu at Gayā is called Ādigadādhara, the first Gadādhara.

Tīrthas in the Vāyu Purāṇa

The Vāyu Purāṇa lists the same chief tīrthas as the other Purāṇas and adds mantras for each.

• Falgu Tīrtha. It is Bhagavān Vishṇu himself in liquid form. The merit of bathing here is more than that of ten lakh Aśvamedhas.
• Vishṇupāda. Seeing it destroys all pāpa. Śrāddha here sends the pitṛs to Vishṇu-loka for ever.
• Uttara-Mānasa and Dakshiṇa-Mānasa. These are twin lakes. Śrāddha here sends the pitṛs to Sūrya-loka and gives liberation.
• Vaitaraṇī. This is the river of crossing. Bathing here with a gift of a cow (go-dāna) frees twenty-one generations.
• Mataṅgavāpī. This is the well in Dharmāraṇya. Tarpaṇa here marks freedom from pitṛ-ṛṇa (the debt to the ancestors).
• Brahma-kūpa. Śrāddha between this well and the yūpa frees all one’s ancestors.
• Bodhivṛksha (Aśvattha). It is named as Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva together. It is the same tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. Watering it frees family lines.

The stutis of Brahmā and Śiva

The Vāyu Purāṇa records two great hymns to Ādigadādhara at Gayā.

• Brahmā’s stuti praises Gadādhara as the giver of liberation to all who see him, the source of all the world’s prosperity and the destroyer of the pāpas of Kali.
• Śiva’s stuti praises Ādigadādhara in his avyakta (unmanifest) form, as the Muṇḍapṛshṭha mountain and the Falgu river. It also praises him in his vyakta (manifest) form, as Gadādhara with the marks of his feet on the Dharmaśilā.

Sītā’s śrāddha for Daśaratha

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa records an episode at Gayā during Rāma’s tīrtha-yātrā. Rāma stayed at Gayā for three months. At the Phalgu tīrtha Sītā performed the śrāddha for Daśaratha. She made one hundred and eight piṇḍas from Phalgu sand. Someone questioned whether a piṇḍa of sand was valid and whether a woman could perform the rite. Sītā then called five witnesses:

1. The mango tree at the tīrtha.
2. The Phalgu river itself.
3. A cat at the place.
4. A cow nearby.
5. An Aśvattha tree.

All five confirmed her act. Bhagavān Sūrya himself then spoke to the truth of the piṇḍa-dāna. Daśaratha appeared in a shining divine body, accepted the sand-piṇḍas with joy and blessed Sītā. He declared her act fully valid and the piṇḍas fully received.

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa teaches from this that the purity of the one who performs the rite and the sincerity of the intent count for more than the material used. Sītā’s sand-piṇḍas, offered at Gayā with a pativratā‘s devotion, gave her ancestor full liberation (Yātrā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 6).

Sources

• Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 7
• Agni Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 114–116
• Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttarardha
• Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Uttarardha, Chapters 44–47
• Garuḍa Mahā Purāṇa, Āchāra Khaṇḍa, Chapters 82–86
• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Uttarārdha, Chapter 7
• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Yātrā Kāṇḍa, Sarga 6