Vayu Purana

जीवेश्वरादिरूपेण विश्वाकारेण चाप्यहो। तस्यामपि प्रलीनायां कूटस्थञ्च यदेकलम् ।। ४२.

In the form of the individual soul, the Lord, and the universe, and even when that dissolves, the immutable alone remains.

भवद्भिरेवं निर्णीतं तत्तथैव न संशयः। तथापि मम जिज्ञासा वर्त्तते केवलं हृदि ।। ४२.

You have thus determined this, and so it is, without doubt; yet still, a desire to know remains in my heart.

अतोऽपि परमं किञ्चिद्वर्त्तते किल वा न वा। तद्वदन्तु महाभागा भवन्तस्तत्त्वदर्शनाः ।। ४२.

Is there perhaps something higher than this, or not? Let the blessed ones, you who perceive the truth, speak of it.

यच्छ्रवः फलमेवेह जनुषो मे कृतार्थता। एवं ब्रुवन्तमनघं व्यासं सत्यवतीसुतम्। साधु साध्विति सङ्कीर्त्य प्रत्यूचु र्निगमा वचः ।। ४२.

Hearing this alone is the fruit, and my life is fulfilled; thus, as Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, spoke blamelessly, they praised him, saying 'Well said, well said,' and replied with the words of the Veda.

वेदा ऊचुः ।। साधु साधु महाप्राज्ञा विष्णुरात्मा शरीरिणाम्। अजोऽपि जन्म सम्पद्य लोकानुग्रहमीहसे ।। ४२.

The Vedas said: 'Well spoken, well spoken, O greatly wise one! Viṣṇu is the Self of all embodied beings; though unborn, you take birth for the welfare of the worlds.'

अन्यथा ते न घटते संसारकर्म्मबन्दनम्। अस्पृष्टो मायया देव्या कदाचिज्ज्ञानगूहया ।। ४२.

Otherwise, for you, there is no binding by the actions of worldly existence; untouched by the goddess Māyā, hidden at times by the cave of knowledge.

बिभर्षि स्वेच्छया रूपं स्वेच्छयैव निगूहसे। अस्मत्सम्मत एवार्थो भवता सम्प्रदर्शितः ।। ४२.

By your own will you assume forms, and by your own will you conceal them; the meaning you have shown is just as we understand it.

पुराणेष्वितिहासेषु सूत्रेष्वपि च नैकधा। अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं सर्वकारणकारणम् ।। ४२.

In the Purāṇas, Itihāsas, and even in the Sūtras, in many ways, the imperishable Supreme Brahman is declared, the cause of all causes.

तस्यात्मनोऽप्यात्म भावतया पुष्पस्य गन्धवत्। रसवद्वा स्थितं रूपमवेहि परमं हि तत् ।। ४२.

Of that Self, even as fragrance abides in a flower or taste in water, so the Supreme Form exists; know that to be highest.

अनुभूतं तदस्माभिर्जाते प्राकृतिके लये। अक्षरात्परतस्तस्माद्यत्परं केवलो रसः । न च तत्र वयं शक्ताः शब्दातीते तदात्मकाः ।। ४२.

We have experienced that, at the time of the dissolution of creation; beyond the imperishable is that which is the supreme, pure essence alone. Yet we are not able to express it, for it is beyond words and our very nature.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि गयामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्। यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्व्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्रसंशयः ।। ४३.

Now I shall speak of the supreme glory of Gayā; hearing which, one is freed from all sins—of this there is no doubt.

सनकाद्यैर्म्महाभागैर्देवर्षिः स च नारदः। सनत्कुमारं पप्रच्छ प्रणम्य विधिपूर्व्वकम् ।। ४३.

By the blessed Sanaka and others, and the divine sage Nārada, Sanatkumāra was respectfully asked, according to proper rule.

नारद उवाच।। सनत्कुमार मे ब्रूहि तीर्थं तीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्। तारकं सर्वभूतानां पठतां श्रृण्वतां तथा ।। ४३.

Nārada said: 'O Sanatkumāra, tell me of the greatest of holy places, the highest of all, which delivers all beings who recite or hear of it.'

सनत्कुमार उवाच।। वक्ष्ये तीर्थवरं पुण्यं श्राद्धादौ सर्वतारकम्। गयातीर्थं सर्वदेशे तीर्थेभ्योऽप्यधिकं श्रृणु ।। ४३.

Sanatkumāra said: 'I shall tell you of the supreme holy place, the most sacred, which grants liberation especially at the time of ancestral rites; listen to Gayā, the holy place, greater than all others in every land.'

गयासुरस्तपस्तेपे ब्रह्मणा क्रतवेऽर्थितः। प्राप्तस्य तस्य शिरसि शिलां धर्मो ह्यधारयत् ।। ४३.

Gayāsura performed austerities and, at Brahmā's request, undertook a sacrifice; when he attained it, Dharma placed a stone upon his head.

तत्र ब्रह्माऽकरोद्यागं स्थितश्चापि गदाधरः। फल्गुतीर्थादिरूपेण निश्चलार्थमहर्निशम्। गयासुरस्य विप्रेन्द्रब्रह्माद्यैर्दैवतैः सह ।। ४३.

There, Brahmā performed a sacrifice, and Gadādhara (Viṣṇu) stood by, in the form of the Phalgu tīrtha and others, day and night, for the sake of steadfastness, along with the best of Brāhmaṇas and other gods.

कृतयज्ञो ददौ ब्रह्मा ब्राह्मणेभ्यो गृहादिकम्। स्वेतकल्पे तु वाराहे गयायागमकारयत् ।। ४३.

Having completed the sacrifice, Brahmā gave houses and other gifts to the Brāhmaṇas; and in the Sveta Kalpa, during the Varāha era, he caused the Gayā sacrifice to be performed.

गयानाम्ना गया ख्याता क्षेत्रं ब्रह्नमभिकांक्षितम्। कांक्षन्ति पितरः पुत्रान्नरकाद्भयभीरवः ।। ४३.

Known as Gayā by name, the field desired by Brahmā, the ancestors long for sons to go there, fearful of hell.

गयां यास्यति यः पुत्रः स नस्त्राता भविष्यति। गयाप्राप्तं सुतं दृष्ट्वा पितॄणामुत्सवो भवेत्। पद्भ्यामपि जलं स्पृष्ट्वा सोऽस्मभ्यं किं न दास्यति ।। ४३.

The son who goes to Gayā will become our savior; when the ancestors see their son who has reached Gayā, it is a festival for them. Even if he merely touches the water with his feet, will he not give us liberation?

गयां गत्वान्नदाता यः पितरस्तेन पुत्रिणः । पक्षत्रयनिवासी च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम्। नो चेत्पञ्चदशाहं वा सप्तरात्रिं त्रिरात्रिकम् ।। ४३.

Whoever, having gone to Gaya, gives food to his ancestors, purifies three generations and even up to the seventh family line; if not, then for fifteen days, seven nights, or three nights.

महाकल्पकृतं पापं गयां प्राप्य विनश्यति। पिण्डं दद्याच्च पित्रादेरात्मनोऽपि तिलैर्विना ।। ४३.

Sin accumulated over a great age is destroyed upon reaching Gaya; and one should offer the rice-ball to ancestors and even to oneself, even without sesame seeds.

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं स्तेयं गुर्व्वङ्गनागमः। पापंतत्सङ्गजं सर्व्वं गयाश्राद्धाद्विनश्यति ।। ४३.

All sin arising from killing a Brahmin, drinking liquor, theft, approaching the wife of a teacher, and from association with such acts, is destroyed by the Gaya śrāddha.

आत्मजोऽप्यन्यजो वापि गयाभूमौ यदा तदा। यन्नाम्ना पातयेत्पिण्डं तं नयेद्ब्रह्म शाश्वतम् ।। ४३.

Whether one's own son or another, whenever one drops the rice-ball in the land of Gaya, by that name, he leads that person to the eternal Brahman.

ब्रह्मज्ञानं गयाश्राद्धं गोगृहे मरणं तथा। वासः पुंसां कुरुक्षेत्रे मुक्तिरेषा चतुर्व्विधा ।। ४३.

Knowledge of Brahman, the Gaya śrāddha, death in a cow's enclosure, and dwelling in Kurukshetra—these are the four kinds of liberation for men.

ब्रह्मज्ञानेन किं कार्य्यं गोगृहे मरणेन किम्। वासेन किं कुरुक्षेत्रे यदि पुत्रो गयां व्रजेत् ।। ४३.

What need is there for knowledge of Brahman, or for death in a cow's enclosure, or for dwelling in Kurukshetra, if a son goes to Gaya?

गयायां सर्व्वकालेषु पिण्डं दद्याद्विचक्षणः। अधिमासे जन्मदिने चास्तेऽपि गुरुशुक्रयोः ।। ४३.

The wise should offer the rice-ball at Gaya at all times, including in the extra month, on one's birthday, and even when Guru and Shukra are in conjunction.

न त्यक्तव्यं गयाश्राद्धं सिंहस्थेऽपि बृहस्पतौ। तथा दैवप्रमादेन प्रहतेषु व्रणेषु च। पुनः कर्म्माधिकारी च श्राद्धकृद्ब्रह्मलोकभाक् ।। ४३.

The Gaya śrāddha should not be abandoned, even when Jupiter is in Leo; nor due to divine error, wounds, or injuries; again, one is eligible for the rite, and the performer of śrāddha attains the world of Brahman.

सकृद्गयाभिगमनं सकृत्पिण्डस्य पातनम्। दुर्लभं किं पुनर्न्नित्यमस्मिन्नेव व्यवस्थितिः ।। ४३.

A single journey to Gaya, a single dropping of the rice-ball, is rare; how much more so is constant residence in this very place.

प्रमादान्म्रियते क्षेत्रे ब्रह्मादेर्मुक्तिदायके। ब्रह्मज्ञानाद्यथा मुक्तिर्लभ्यते नात्र संशयः ।। ४३.

If, by mistake, one dies in a field that grants liberation, such as that of Brahma, then liberation is attained just as from knowledge of Brahman; there is no doubt about this.