114 - The greatness of Gaya 

The Agni said: 

1-2. Ishall descrihe the greatness of Gayā. It is the most excellent among the sacred places. The demon Gaya practised penance. Being tormented by the heat of his penance, the celestials (approached lord) Vishņu who was lying in the milky ocean and told him "Kindly protect us from the demon Gaya.” (L.ord) Hari (Vishņu) said yes. He met the demon and asked him to request for a boon. 

3-4. The demon requested that he would be the holiest of all places. Lord Vishņu granted his request. Having seen that the demon (was on the earth) and the earth had become deserted without Lord Vishnu, the celestials, Brahma and others in the heaven met lord Hari (Vishņu) and said, "O (lord) Hari! The earth has become deserted.” 

5. On seeing the demon's presence, lord Hari (Vishnu) asked (lord) Brahma, “You go to the demon along with the celestials and request for his body for the purpose of a sacrifice." 

6. After having heard that, Brahmā went to the demon Gaya along with the celestials and said to him as follows: "I am your guest. I request you (to give me your) pure body for (the sake of being offered in) a sacrifice." 

7. The demon Gaya granted the request. Hc fell down. (Lord Brahma) did the sacrifice on the skull. As it was moving, (lord Vishnu) asked lord Brahmā to offer thc final oblation. 

8-9. Even as the final oblation was being offered, the demon moved. Hence lord Brahma asked Lord Vishņu. Lord Vishnu then called Dharma (the god of virtue) and said, “O celestials! you all support this divine stone. The club-wielding form of mine along with the gods will be present on this slab.” 

10-11. Having heard that, lord Dharma supported that excellent divine slab. Marichi, the son of Brahmå married Dharma vratā, the daughter of Dharma and Dharmavati.she was devoted to doing penance. (They two spent happily) just as (lord) Hari sported with (goddess) Śri (Lakshmi) and (lord) Sambhu (Siva) with (goddess) Gauri (Pårvati). 

12. (Once) he returned from the forest with kusa (grass) and flowers and was very tired. After taking food he said to Dharınavrata, "Massage my feet." 

13. The dear wife accordingly was massaging the feet of the sage who was taking rest. In the meanwhile, as the sage fell into a nap, lord Brahmä сame there. 

14. Dharmavratā began to think, "Shall I worship lord Brahma? Orshall I continue to massage the feet (of my lord)? Brahmå who is the lord of my lordshould be worshipped.” 

15-17. After thinking (for some time)she began to worship lord Brahmä with all the honours. Marichi (woke up and) saw her (doing service to Brahma). Asshe was not doing as directed he cursed her angrily, “You will become a stone". Dharmavratā also said to him, “After having stopped massaging your feet, I had worshipped (Brahma) your lord. As you have cursed me, a faultless person, you will be cursed by (lord) Sankara (Śiva)", Dharmavrata bore the curse singly and resorted to Agni. 

18.she performed penance for a long period. Then Vishņu and other celestials appeared in front of her and asked her to request for a boon. 

19-22. Dharmavratā said to the celestials, "O Gods let my curse come to an end. The celestials said, “The curse given by Marichi will not be otherwise. You will become a sacred stone bearing the maRugvedaof the foot-prints of lord (Vishņu). You will be endowed with the essence of the gods, O Devavrata (Dharmavrata)! You will be representing the forms of all celestials, You will be meritorious for making the demon motionless". Devavratā said, “If you are pleased with me, may Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Gauri, Lakshmi and other gods stay in me ever." The Agni said, “Having heard the words of Devavrata, the celestials said in affirmative and repaired to the heavens." 

23. That divine stone slab of the demon was supported by (lord) Dharma. The demon began to move with the stone slab on which (the gods) Rudra and others remained. 

24. The demon was still moving along with celestials. Then lord Hari (Vishnu), who was reclining in the milky ocean, was requested by celestials and he gave his form of wielding a mace. 

25. (He said) "You all may go. Ishall myself go there with the form known to all celestials.” There lord Gadadhara manifested in the form of) manifest, unmanifest and both manifest and unmanifest. 

26-30. (Lord) Adigadadhara was himself present in order to make the stone slab) steady. There was a demon named Gada. He was killed by lord Vishņu. Viśvakarma (the celestial architect) made a mace from the bones (of that demon). (Lord) Gadadhara killed Heti and other demons with that first mace duly. Hence, he is known as Adigadadhara. When lord Adigadadhara was manifest in the divine stone slab and the demon remained steady, then lord Brahmā offered the final oblation. The demon Gaya asked celestials “Why I was deceived? By the more command of lord Vishnu I would have remained steady. Because you have tormented me youshould give me a boon”.

The celestials said: 

31-32. "Since you have been made steady by us, this will become a holy place of the lords Vishņu, Sambhu (Śiva) and Brahma. (It would become) more renowned than all other sacred places. It would confer the region of Brahmä on the (departed) ancestors". Having spoken thus, the gods and goddesses remained there. All the sacred places also were present there. 

33-35. After having performed the sacrifice, Brahmā gave fees to the priests. The sacred place of Gayā (extends to) five krošas (ten miles). Fiftyfive villages were endowed with (the following): Golden hills flowing with rivers, milk and honey, reservoirs of curd, clarified butter, plenty of hills of food, kämadhenu (the celestial cow), kalpataru (the celestial tree) and abodes made of gold and silver. Let the brahmins here do not seek alms. The lord gave all these things after having spoken very little. 

26-37. (The brahmins) at Gaya were cursed by lord Brahmā when they on account of their greed received gifts of money and other things of the righteous sacrifice "You will be deprived of learning. You will be greedy. The rivers will be bereft of milk and other things. The mountains will become mere rocks." 

38-40. The brahmins said to (lord) Brahma, "Everything has been lost on account of the curse. Kindly be gracions to us for the sake of our livelihood”. He replied to the Brahmins, “You will be dependent on (the pilgrims to) the sacred place as long as the moon and sun (exist). The people who come to Gaya and worship you by offering gifts of food, wealth etc. and ancestral rightsshall elevate hundreds of their families to heaven from hell and excellent position after heaven." 

41. Gaya also performed a sacrifice offering plenty of food and profuse fees. The place has been named as Gayå after him. The Pandavas worshipped lord Vishnu.