The Glory of Gaya (I) — The Slaying of Gayasura

Verse 1 (garuda.1.82.1)

श्रीगणेशाय नमः । ब्रह्मोवाच । सारात्सारतरं व्यास गयामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । प्रवक्ष्यामि समासेन भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं श्रृणु

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ brahmovāca sārātsārataraṁ vyāsa gayāmāhātmyamuttamam pravakṣyāmi samāsena bhuktimuktipradaṁ śrṛṇu

Salutation to Sri Ganesha. Brahma said: O Vyasa, I shall now declare briefly the excellent glory of Gaya, the essence of essences, which grants both enjoyment and liberation — listen.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.82.2)

गयासुरोऽभवत्पूर्वं वीर्य्यवान्परमः स च । तपस्तप्यन्महाघोरं सर्वभूतोपतापनम्

gayāsuro'bhavatpūrvaṁ vīryyavānparamaḥ sa ca tapastapyanmahāghoraṁ sarvabhūtopatāpanam

Formerly there was an asura named Gayasura, supremely mighty. He performed a great and terrible austerity that scorched all beings.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.82.3)

तत्तपस्तापिता देवास्तद्वधार्थं हरिं गताः । शरणं हरिरूचे तान् भवितव्यं शिवात्मभइः

tattapastāpitā devāstadvadhārthaṁ hariṁ gatāḥ śaraṇaṁ harirūce tān bhavitavyaṁ śivātmabhaiḥ

Tormented by that austerity, the gods went for refuge to Hari, so that he might be slain. Hari said to them, who had sought his refuge: 'It shall surely come to pass, through auspicious means.'

Verse 4 (garuda.1.82.4)

पात्यतेऽस्य महादेहो तथेत्यूचुः सुरा हरिम् । कदाचिच्छिवपूजार्थं क्षीराब्धेः कमलानि च

pātyate'sya mahādeho tathetyūcuḥ surā harim kadācicchivapūjārthaṁ kṣīrābdheḥ kamalāni ca

'His great body shall be brought down,' said Hari; and the gods answered him, 'So be it.' Once, for the worship of Shiva, having brought lotuses from the Ocean of Milk —

Verse 5 (garuda.1.82.5)

आनीय कीकटे देशे शयनं चाकरोद्वली । विष्णुमायाविमूढोऽसौ गदया विष्णुना हतः

ānīya kīkaṭe deśe śayanaṁ cākarodvalī viṣṇumāyāvimūḍho'sau gadayā viṣṇunā hataḥ

having carried them to the land of Kikata, the mighty one made his resting place there. Deluded by Vishnu's maya, he was struck down by Vishnu with his mace.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.82.6)

अतो गदाधरो विष्णुर्गयायां मुक्तिदः स्थितः । तस्य देहो लिङ्गरूपी स्थितः शुद्धे पितामहः

ato gadādharo viṣṇurgayāyāṁ muktidaḥ sthitaḥ tasya deho liṅgarūpī sthitaḥ śuddhe pitāmahaḥ

Thus Vishnu, the wielder of the mace, abides at Gaya as the giver of liberation; his body remains there in the form of a linga, and Pitamaha (Brahma) abides in that pure field.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.82.7)

जनार्द्दनश्च कालेशस्तथान्यः प्रपितामहः । विष्णुराहाथ मर्य्यादां पुण्यक्षेत्रं भविष्यति

janārddanaśca kāleśastathānyaḥ prapitāmahaḥ viṣṇurāhātha maryyādāṁ puṇyakṣetraṁ bhaviṣyati

Janardana, Kalesha, and Prapitamaha too are there. Then Vishnu declared this ordinance: 'This shall become a sacred field.'

Verse 8 (garuda.1.82.8)

यज्ञं श्राद्धं पिण्डदानं स्नानादि कुरुते नरः । स स्वर्गं ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छेन्न नरकं नरः

yajñaṁ śrāddhaṁ piṇḍadānaṁ snānādi kurute naraḥ sa svargaṁ brahmalokaṁ ca gacchenna narakaṁ naraḥ

The man who performs sacrifice, shraddha, pinda-offering, and bathing and the like there goes to heaven and to the world of Brahma; that man does not go to hell.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.82.9)

गयातीर्थं परं ज्ञात्वा यागं चक्रे पितामहः । ब्राह्मणान्पूजयामास ऋत्विगर्थमुपागतान्

gayātīrthaṁ paraṁ jñātvā yāgaṁ cakre pitāmahaḥ brāhmaṇānpūjayāmāsa ṛtvigarthamupāgatān

Knowing Gaya to be a supreme tirtha, Pitamaha performed a sacrifice there and honored the brahmins who had come to serve as officiating priests.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.82.10)

महानदीं रसवहां सृष्ट्वा वाप्यादिकं तथा । भक्ष्यभोज्यफलादींश्च कामधेनुं तथासृजत्

mahānadīṁ rasavahāṁ sṛṣṭvā vāpyādikaṁ tathā bhakṣyabhojyaphalādīṁśca kāmadhenuṁ tathāsṛjat

He created a great river bearing sap, and also step-wells and the like; he likewise created foods, delicacies, fruits, and the wish-fulfilling cow.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.82.11)

पञ्चक्रोशं गया क्षेत्रं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ प्रभुः । धर्मयागेषु लोभात्तु प्रतिगृह्य धनादिकम्

pañcakrośaṁ gayā kṣetraṁ brāhmaṇebhyo dadau prabhuḥ dharmayāgeṣu lobhāttu pratigṛhya dhanādikam

The Lord Brahma gave the five-krosha field of Gaya to the brahmins. But out of greed, having accepted wealth and the like at those sacred rites —

Verse 12 (garuda.1.82.12)

स्थिता विप्रास्तदा शप्ता गयायां ब्राह्मणास्ततः । मा भूत्त्रैपुरुषी विद्या मा भूत्त्रैपुरुषं धनम्

sthitā viprāstadā śaptā gayāyāṁ brāhmaṇāstataḥ mā bhūttraipuruṣī vidyā mā bhūttraipuruṣaṁ dhanam

the brahmins then dwelling at Gaya were cursed there: 'May your learning not endure three generations, may your wealth not endure three generations;

Verse 13 (garuda.1.82.13)

युष्माकं स्याद्वारिवहा नदी पाषाणपर्वतः । शप्तैस्तु प्रार्थितो ब्रह्मानुग्रहं कृतवान्प्रभुः

yuṣmākaṁ syādvārivahā nadī pāṣāṇaparvataḥ śaptaistu prārthito brahmānugrahaṁ kṛtavānprabhuḥ

may your river carry water only over stony mountains.' Then, entreated by those who had been cursed, the Lord Brahma granted them a boon of grace.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.82.14)

लोकाः पुण्या गयायां हि श्राद्धिनो ब्रह्मलोकगाः । युष्मान्ये पूजयिष्यन्ति तैरहं पूजितः सदा

lokāḥ puṇyā gayāyāṁ hi śrāddhino brahmalokagāḥ yuṣmānye pūjayiṣyanti tairahaṁ pūjitaḥ sadā

'The worlds at Gaya are indeed sacred; those who perform shraddha there go to the world of Brahma. Whoever shall honor you, by them I am ever honored.'

Verse 15 (garuda.1.82.15)

ब्रह्मज्ञानं गयाश्राद्धं गोगृहे मरणं तथा । वासः पुंसां कुरुक्षेत्रे मुक्तिरेषा चतुर्विधा

brahmajñānaṁ gayāśrāddhaṁ gogṛhe maraṇaṁ tathā vāsaḥ puṁsāṁ kurukṣetre muktireṣā caturvidhā

Knowledge of Brahman, shraddha at Gaya, death in a cow-shelter, and dwelling at Kurukshetra — these are, for men, liberation of four kinds.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.82.16)

समुद्राः सरितः सर्वा वापीकूपह्रदास्तथा । स्नातुकामा गयातीर्थं व्यास यान्ति न संशयः

samudrāḥ saritaḥ sarvā vāpīkūpahradāstathā snātukāmā gayātīrthaṁ vyāsa yānti na saṁśayaḥ

O Vyasa, all the oceans, rivers, step-wells, wells, and lakes, desiring to bathe there, go without doubt to the tirtha of Gaya.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.82.17)

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं स्तेयं गुर्वंगनागमः । पापं तत्सङ्गजं सर्वं गयाश्राद्धाद्विनश्यति

brahmahatyā surāpānaṁ steyaṁ gurvaṁganāgamaḥ pāpaṁ tatsaṅgajaṁ sarvaṁ gayāśrāddhādvinaśyati

The killing of a brahmin, drinking liquor, theft, union with the wife of one's guru, and all sin born of association with these — all are destroyed by shraddha performed at Gaya.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.82.18)

असंस्कृता मृता य च पशुचोरहताश्च ये । सर्पदष्टा गयाश्राद्धान्मुक्ताः स्वर्गं व्रजन्ति ते

asaṁskṛtā mṛtā ya ca paśucorahatāśca ye sarpadaṣṭā gayāśrāddhānmuktāḥ svargaṁ vrajanti te

Those who die without the proper rites, those slain by beasts or by thieves, and those killed by snakebite — through shraddha at Gaya they are freed and go to heaven.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.82.19)

गयायां पिण्डदानेन यत्फलं लभते नरः । न तच्छक्यं मया वक्तुं वर्षकोटिशतैरपि

gayāyāṁ piṇḍadānena yatphalaṁ labhate naraḥ na tacchakyaṁ mayā vaktuṁ varṣakoṭiśatairapi

The fruit that a man obtains through pinda-offering at Gaya — that I am unable to tell even in a hundred million years.