Gayā is the most holy of the tīrthas of the pitṛs (the ancestors). The Varāha Purāṇa tells of the ṛshi Raikhya at Gayā: his tapas there, the visit of Sanatkumāra, the account of King Viśāla, Raikhya’s stotra to Gadādhara, and his moksha.

Context

This account comes straight after the account of the moksha of Vasu Rāja (Chapter 6). Bhūdevī asks what happened to the ṛshi Raikhya after he heard that his companion Vasu had gained siddhi. Bhagavān Varāha tells her.

Raikhya goes to Gayā

When the ṛshi Raikhya heard that King Vasu had gained siddhi (liberation), he went to the Gayā tīrtha, the most holy of the tīrthas of the pitṛs. There, with great devotion, he offered piṇḍa-dāna (rice-balls) to satisfy his ancestors.

After the śrāddha, Raikhya began a very hard mahā-tapas (great austerity), one that even a great ṛshi would find hard to keep.

The visit of Sanatkumāra

While Raikhya was in this deep tapas, a great yogin came: Sanatkumāra, the mind-born son of Bhagavān Brahmā, who lives in Janaloka. He came in a small, pure vimāna (divine vehicle) as bright as the sun, as tiny as an atom and yet blazing. He came down and stood in front of Raikhya.

“Raikhya! Why are you doing tapas?”

As he said this, Sanatkumāra filled both earth and sky with his body.

Raikhya saw a splendid vimāna, five chariot-lengths long, bright as the sun, that spread at once up to Brahmaloka.

In wonder, Raikhya bowed and asked: “O Mahāyogī! Who are you? Please tell me.”

Sanatkumāra answered:

“I am Rudra’s younger brother. I am Brahmā’s mind-born son. I am called Sanatkumāra. I live in Janaloka. I have come to you out of love, O tapo-dhana (rich in tapas). You are blessed in every way. You are one who makes the Brahmā line grow.”

The account of King Viśāla: the power of Gayā

Sanatkumāra told an example to show why Raikhya’s life at Gayā made him so blessed.

King Viśāla wants a son

In a city called Viśāla, King Viśāla ruled. He was righteous and brave, but had no child. The brāhmaṇas told him:

“Go to Gayā. Give many anna-dānas (gifts of food). Please the Pitṛ devas. You will surely have a son who will be a great giver and ruler of the earth.”

The offering and the sight in the sky

Viśāla went to Gayā. On a day of maghā-nakshatra he offered piṇḍa-dāna and made tarpaṇa offerings. As he poured out the water, he looked up and saw three men in the sky. One was white, one red and one black.

Viśāla asked who they were and why they stood silent. His father Sīta, the white one, spoke:

“My name is Sīta. By name, conduct and deeds I am known as Sīta. The red one is my father. He did cruel deeds, brahmahatyā and evil acts.”

“His name is Adhīśvara. By conduct and karma he is the black one. This Kṛshṇa, in his earlier life, killed many ancient ṛshis.”

“Both my father Adhīśvara and his father Kṛshṇa, after death, fell into the terrible naraka called Avīci, for a very long time. I, by my good karma, gained the seat of Indra, which is almost impossible to gain.”

“You knew the mantras well, and you offered piṇḍa-dāna at Gayā. By its power you have brought the three of us together here. This is the effect of piṇḍa-dāna at a tīrtha.”

“You poured out the water saying, ‘I satisfy my fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers.’ By your words the three of us came together. By the greatness of this tīrtha we will go to Pitṛloka. There is no doubt.”

“By piṇḍa-dāna here, those who had fallen into bad births and deep ruin were lifted up. Your grandfathers and great-grandfathers have gained sadgati (a good end).”

“Even a father who did brahmahatyā can be lifted up by his son’s piṇḍa-dāna at this tīrtha. This is the greatness of Gayā.”

“For this reason I have come to see you, my son. Now we go. O Raikhya, this is why I call you blessed (dhanya).”

The words of Sanatkumāra to Raikhya

After telling this account, Sanatkumāra spoke to Raikhya directly:

“To go to Gayā even once, and to give piṇḍa even once, is very hard and rare. And you are actually living there!”

“O best of brāhmaṇas! In this tīrtha Śrī Mahāvishṇu, the bearer of the gadā (mace), is established as Gadāpāṇi. That is exactly why Gayā has won its great fame. And you have had darśana of Nārāyaṇa himself, O Raikhya!”

Raikhya’s Gadādhara Stotra

Moved by the words of Sanatkumāra, Raikhya composed a Gadādhara stotra, a song of praise to Bhagavān Vishṇu who bears the gadā.

“Salutation to Gadādhara, praised by the wise, the bearer of the earth, the destroyer of the sorrow of the hungry multitudes, the auspicious form, the crusher of the vast armies of asuras, who when remembered at once destroys all troubles.”

“I bow in solitude to Gadādhara, the Purāṇa-purusha, the greatly praised, the Sanātana, the pure, the refuge of all people, who stilled Bali with three steps and lifted Bhūdevī.”

“Of great purity, of all prosperity, the home of Lakshmī, without stain, rich in jñāna: Gadādhara. He who bows to him lives happily for a long time.”

“His feet are worshipped by devas and dānavas, he wears keyūras, arm-bracelets and a crown, he rests in yoga-nidrā in the ocean, he bears the cakra: Gadādhara. He who bows to him is well.”

“He who is white in Kṛta, red in Tretā, golden in Dvāpara and the colour of a dark cloud in Kali: the great Prabhu Gadādhara. He who bows to him is well.”

“That Vishṇu, whose seed is Brahmā who makes the worlds, who as Nārāyaṇa rules the universes, who in the body of Rudra dissolves them, who has three forms: may that Gadādhara be victorious!”

“Sattva, rajas, tamas: three guṇas. There is no other birthplace for these three. That Gadādhara alone exists in these three modes. May that Prabhu Gadādhara give me the wealth of buddhi for dharma and moksha.”

“In this ocean of saṃsāra, with its waves of sorrow and its crocodiles of dreadful fear of parting, I am drowning. May Gadādhara lift me like a boat!”

“He who, in three forms, made this universe from himself, and also made the great-radiant Brahmā within it: I give all to that Bhū-dhara-deva (supporter of the earth).”

“Only to protect the devas and others, he took the names Matsya and others in the worlds. But in his chief form he shines everywhere. May that Gadādhara give me sadgati!”

The moksha of Raikhya

After Raikhya’s stotra, Janārdana appeared, dressed in yellow, holding the śaṅkha, cakra and gadā, on Garuḍa, standing in the sky. He said:

“Raikhya! I am pleased with your bhakti, your stotra and your tīrtha-snāna. Tell me the wish that is dearest to you.”

Raikhya asked: “O Gadādhara! O Deveśa! By your grace, may I live where Sanaka and the other siddhas live.”

Bhagavān Vishṇu said: “So be it.”

Raikhya, filled with divine jñāna and joy, went with the deva who bears the chariot and the mace, to the region of the siddha mahārshis, Sanaka and the others.

The fruit of the stotra

“One who recites this Gadādhara stotra, as composed by Raikhya, and then goes to Gayā and offers piṇḍa-dāna, gains great puṇya.”

Sources

Varāha Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 7