Gaya Charitra
King Gaya was a ruler of great virtue and devotion. He came in the line of kings that descended from Bharata Cakravartī through Bharata’s son Sumati. Gaya performed great yajñas (fire rituals), and Bhagavān Vishṇu was so pleased that he came to the place now known as Gayā-kshetra. He declared that he would always be present there for those who offer piṇḍa-dāna (rice-ball offerings) to their ancestors.
The Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa tells this in the fifteenth chapter of its fifth Skanda. The tīrtha (pilgrimage place) of Gayā is one of the holiest places in Bhārata-varsha, and it owes its holiness to this account.
The line of kings from Bharata
The fifteenth chapter of the fifth Skanda gives the line of kings from Bharata Cakravartī’s son Sumati down through many generations of righteous rulers. Each generation kept the dharma that Bharata had set up, and the spiritual inheritance that came down from Ṛshabhadeva himself. The line runs:
Bharata, Sumati, Teja, Indradyumna, Parameshṭhin, Pratīha, Pratihartā, Bhava, Udgītha, Prastāva, Vibhu, Pṛthusheṇa, Nakta, and then Gaya.
The Bhāgavatam praises each of these kings briefly. Each kept the character of the line. Because of them, Bhārata-varsha continued to be ruled by kings who honoured Bhagavān Vishṇu and protected the Vedic order.
Gaya’s character and rule
The Bhāgavatam presents Gaya as a king of the highest virtue. He went beyond the usual qualities of a good king and showed the qualities of a bhakta (devotee) who is also a king. The Bhāgavatam calls him an aṃśa (a partial manifestation) of Bhagavān Vishṇu, in whom the divine qualities shone through the king’s form without any block. He was:
- completely free from pride and self-importance
- full of compassion and equal to all beings
- expert in all the śāstras and in how to apply them to rule
- devoted to the brāhmaṇas and the Vedic order
- steady in his worship of Bhagavān Vishṇu
- a perfect karma-yogī, in the spirit of Ṛshabhadeva’s teaching
His rule was so just and his devotion so pure that even the devas took notice of his rare qualities.
The great yajñas
Gaya performed many great yajñas, including several aśvamedhas (horse yajñas) and other large rituals. He held them at sacred places, among them the banks of the river Sarasvatī. He did them with perfect Vedic correctness. He gave generous dakshiṇā (fees) to the brāhmaṇas. His whole aim was to please Bhagavān Vishṇu, not to gain wealth or power for himself. The puṇya (merit) of these yajñas, joined with the purity of Gaya’s own character, created a place of rare spiritual strength.
Bhagavān Vishṇu comes to Gayā-kshetra
Bhagavān Vishṇu was moved by Gaya’s virtue and the purity of his yajñas. He came and was present at the place of Gaya’s kingdom. He appeared before the ṛshis and brāhmaṇas who had gathered, and he spoke in praise of Gaya.
He declared that the earth on which Gaya ruled was blessed by the touch of his feet. He declared that the ancestors of those who offer piṇḍa-dāna and perform śrāddha (offerings for the ancestors) at the place of Gaya’s great yajñas will be freed from whatever state they are in, even from naraka (hell). He declared that he himself would always be present at this place, known from then on as Gayā-kshetra, to receive the puṇya of the śrāddha and piṇḍa-dāna done there and to multiply it.
This blessing made the tīrtha of Gayā one of the greatest pilgrimage centres of Bhārata-varsha. Piṇḍa-dāna done there is especially powerful because Bhagavān Vishṇu himself declared that he is present there and that he will carry the merit to the ancestors.
The tīrtha of Gayā
The Purāṇic tradition records that the tīrtha of Gayā, in present-day Bihar, is the place where Bhagavān Vishṇu’s feet touched the earth to honour Gaya’s virtue. This is why Gayā-śrāddha, the piṇḍa-dāna done at Gayā, is received directly by Bhagavān Vishṇu, who passes it on to the ancestors. Pilgrims still do this rite today, just as Bhagavān Vishṇu spoke the blessing in answer to King Gaya’s yajña.
The line continues
The chapter goes on to name further generations that came after Gaya. His line stayed righteous. The Bhāgavatam traces these lines of kings to show that dharma, once set up by a great king, passes on through the generations after him.
Sources
- Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 5th Skanda, Chapter 15