84 - Greatness of Gaya 

Brahma said: 

1-2. If a person wishes to proceed to Gaya, he shall first perform Shraddha according to Shastraic injunctions. He shall then disguise himself and go round his village. Then proceeding to another village, he shall take in only what is left over after Shraddha. He shall go round that village as well. During his journey to Gaya, he shall never take Pratigraha (money by way of charity). 

3-4. Every step that he takes after leaving his house towards Gaya enables his ancestors to ascend a step towards heaven. With regard to other holy places the injunction of tonsure and fasting holds good; but in the case of Kurukshetra, Vishala, Viraja and Gaya it does not. Shraddha can be performed at Gaya during the day or night. 

5-6. A person performing Shraddha in Varanasi, Shonanada and frequently in Mahanadi shall take his ancestors to heaven. 

7. By going to Uttaramanasa unrivalled achievement is acquired. The pilgrim who takes bath and performs Shraddha there shall acquire all his desires mundane and divine and also the means to achieve salvation.

8. After reaching the Dakshinamanasa he shall offer Pinda, etc. silently. At that place he shall wipe off the three-fold debts. 

9-10. To the north of Mundaprushtha there is the holy place named Kanakhala famous in the three worlds, frequented by devas and sages and infested by illustrious serpents pleasing to the Siddhas and terrific to the sinners, horrible in appearance and putting out their unsplit tongues. 

11. By taking bath there one goes to heaven; the Shraddha performed there is everlasting. After bowing to the Sun and performing Pindadana and other holy rites he shall say like this: 

12-13. "O ye deities of manes, Kavyavaha, Agnishvattas, Barhishads, Somapas, Soma, Yama and Aryaman, do come, you noble Sirs; with your protection I have come here to Gaya desiring to offer Pindas to all of my ancestors and to all kinsmen born in the family." 

14. After offering Pindas in Phalgutirtha he shall visit lord Pitamaha and then Gadadhara. He shall be freed from indebtedness to the manes. 

15. By taking bath in Phalgutirtha and visiting lord Gadadhara the devotee shall immediately save himself, ten generations gone before and ten generations yet to come. 

16. I have mentioned the programme for the first day. On the second day he shall go to Dharmaranya and perform Pindadana, etc. in the sacred pond of Matanga. 

17. By visiting Dharmaranya he will derive the fruit of Vajapeya. 

18. In the holy Tirtha of Brahma he will derive the fruit of Rajasuya and Ashvamedha. 

19. Shraddha and Pindodaka in the middle of Kupa and Yupa shall be done with the water of the well. What is offered to the manes shall be endless. 

20. On the third day he shall go to Brahmasadas, take bath and perform Tarpana, Shraddha and Pindadana in the middle of Kupa (well) and Yupa (Sacrificial stake). 

21. The brahmins ordained by Brahma are staying near Goprachara. By honouring and serving them the manes shall attain salvation. After going round, the sacrificial stake he shall derive the fruit of Vajapeya. 

22-23. On the fourth day he shall take bath, perform Tarpana and Shraddha in Gayashira in the temple of Lord Rudra etc. Then 0 Vyasa, he shall offer Pindas in Panchagni (five fires) and worship the three gods Surya, (Sun) Indu (Moon) and Karttikeya. The Shraddha thus performed shall be everlasting. 

24-25. The Shraddha may be for nine deities or twelve deities. During the Anvashtaka days (i.e., the ninth day of the lunar fortnights in Pausha, Magha and Phalguna months), during Vruddhi (i.e., in the bright fortnights) or on the day of death separate Shraddha is performed here for the mother. At other places the Shraddha has to be performed along with father's. 

26. By taking bath in Dashashvamedha and visiting Lord Pitamaha and touching the feet of Rudra a man is not born again. 

27. By performing Shraddha in Gayashira a man obtains the same as obtained by making a gift of a land endowed with the three kinds of wealth (fertility, nearness to water, and good soil). 

28. At Gayashira, the balls of oblation shall be of the size of a Shamipatra (the leaf of Shami tree). Then the manes become gods. No one need worry about this. 

29. Lord Mahadeva of great intellect has set foot on the hill Mundaprushtha. By performing even, a small penance he shall acquire great merit. 

30. Those who are in hell will go to heaven and those in heaven attain liberation if he names them and offers Pindas in Gayashira. 

31. On the fifth day he shall take his bath in Gadalola and offer Pindas at the foot of the Banyan tree. He shall thereby enable the entire family of his ancestors to cross heli. 

32. At the root of the Banyan tree even if a single brahmin is fed with vegetable dishes and hot water it is as good as feeding a crore. 

33. At Akshayavata he shall perform Shraddha and see the Primordial deity. He shall attain everlasting worlds and uplift a hundred generations. 

34. Many sons are to be wished for. At least one of them may go to Gaya or perform Ashvamedha or make a gift of a dark bull. 

35. A ghost once addressed a certain merchant—"Please offer Pindas in my name at Gayashira. I shall be liberated from the state of a ghost and the giver of the Pindas shall attain heaven." 

36. The merchant on hearing that offered Pinda to the chief of ghosts and thereafter offered the same to his manes along with the younger brothers. 

37. All of them were liberated and Vishala the offerer of Pindas was blessed with a son. There was a prince in the country of Vishala named Vishala. He addressed the Brahmins. 

38. "How can I have sons?" The brahmins replied, “By offering Pindas in Gaya you will have sons". The prince Vishala offered Pindas in Gaya and was blessed with sons. 

39. He saw in the sky three human shapes white, red and black in colour and said "Who are you?". The white one from among them replied to Vishala. 

40. "I am the white one, your father. I attained Indraloka due to meritorious deeds. My son, this red one is my father. He is a great sinner, a murderer of a Brahmin. 

41. This black one is my grandfather. Some sages had been killed by him. Both of them had fallen into the hell Avichi (Rayless). Now that you have offered the Pindas both of them have been liberated. 

42. Now that we have been liberated, we are proceeding to Heaven." Vishala who was satisfied ruled the kingdom (for some time) and attained heaven. 

43-48. [The devotee shall repeat thus]. "Let all the manes in our family who had been deprived of Pinda and Udaka (water) rites, who died in infancy without the rite of Chuda (ceremonial cutting of forelocks), who had been still born, who had not been duly cremated and who had died in flames, be satisfied with the Pindas offered in the Earth and attain salvation. Let these Pindas deliver everlastingly all these: Father, grandfather, great grandfather, mother, paternal grand mother, paternal great-grand mother maternal grandfather, maternal great grandfather maternal great-great grandfather, maternal grandmother, maternal great grandmother, maternal great great grandmother and other kinsmen.