Vayu Purana

तिलकल्केन खण्डेन गुडेन सघृतेन वा। केवलेनैव दध्ना वा ऊर्जेन मधुनाऽथ वा ।। ४३.

Whether with sesame paste, with sugar, with jaggery mixed with ghee, with curd alone, with clarified butter, or with honey, the offering is efficacious.

पिण्याकं सघृतं खण्डं पितृभ्योऽक्षयमित्युत। इज्यते वार्त्तवं भोज्यं हविष्यान्नं मुनीरितम् ।। ४३.

Offering to the ancestors cakes made of oil-cake with ghee, sugar, or any food suitable for offerings, or cooked rice as prescribed by the sages, is inexhaustible in merit.

एकतः सर्व्ववस्तूनि रसवन्ति मधूनि हि। स्मृत्वा गदाधराङघ्र्यब्जं फल्गुतीर्थाम्बु चैकतः ।। ४३.

On one side are all delicious substances and sweet things; on the other, remembering the lotus feet of Gadādhara and the water of the Phalgu tīrtha—these are incomparable.

पिण्डासनं पिण्डदानं पुनः प्रत्यवनेजनम्। दक्षिणा चान्न सङ्कल्पस्तीर्थश्राद्धेष्वयं विधिः ।। ४३.

The procedure for śrāddha at a tīrtha is: the seat for the piṇḍa, the offering of the piṇḍa, the subsequent purification, the gift to the priest, the food, and the resolve.

नावाहनं न दिग्बन्धो न दोषो दृष्टिसम्भवः। सकारुण्येन कर्त्तव्यं तीर्थश्राद्धं विचक्षणैः ।। ४३.

There is no need for invocation, no ritual enclosure of directions, and no fault arises from being seen; the wise should perform tīrtha śrāddha with compassion.

अन्यत्रावाहिताः काले पितरो यान्त्यमुं प्रति। तीर्थे सदा वसन्त्येते तस्मादावाहनं न हि ।। ४३.

Elsewhere, the ancestors must be invoked at the proper time, but at a tīrtha, they are always present; therefore, invocation is not required there.

तीर्थश्राद्धं प्रयच्छद्भिः पुरुषैः फलकाङ्क्षिभिः। कामं क्रोधं तथा लोभं त्यक्त्वा कार्य्या क्रियाऽनिशम् ।। ४३.

Those who wish for the fruit of tīrtha śrāddha should always perform the rite, giving up desire, anger, and greed.

ब्रह्मचार्य्यकभोजी च भूशायी सत्यवाक्छुचिः। सर्व्वभूतहिते रक्तः स तीर्थफलमश्नुते ।। ४३.

He who is celibate, eats only once, sleeps on the ground, speaks truth, is pure, and devoted to the welfare of all beings, attains the fruit of tīrtha.

तीर्थान्यनुसरन्धीरः पाषण्डं पूर्व्वतस्त्यजेत्। पाषण्ढः स च विज्ञेयो यो भवेत्कामकारतः ।। ४३.

The wise, when following the tīrthas, should first abandon heresy; and know that one who acts according to his own desires is a heretic.

तीर्थेषु ये नरा धीराः कर्म्म कुर्व्वन्ति तद्घताः। यथा ब्रह्मविदो वेद्यं वस्तु चानन्यचेतसः। प्रविशन्ति परेशाख्यं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मपरायणाः ।। ४३.

Those steadfast men who perform rites at tīrthas, with undistracted minds, as knowers of Brahman know the Supreme, enter the Brahman called the Supreme Lord.

यास्ते वैतरणी नाम नदी त्रैलोक्यविश्रुता। साऽवतीर्णा गयाक्षेत्रे पितॄणां तारणाय वै। स्नातो गोदो वैतरण्यां त्रिःसप्तकुलमुद्धरेत् ।। ४३.

That river named Vaitaraṇī, renowned throughout the three worlds, descended in the field of Gayā for the deliverance of the ancestors; one who bathes and gives a cow in the Vaitaraṇī rescues twenty-one generations.

तथाऽक्षयवटं गत्वा विप्रान्सन्तोषयिष्यति। ब्रह्मप्रकल्पितान्विप्रान्हव्यकव्यादिनाऽर्च्चयेत्। तैस्तुष्टैस्तोषिताः सर्व्वाः पितृभिः सह देवताः ।। ४३.

Similarly, going to the imperishable banyan tree and satisfying the Brāhmaṇas, worshipping them with offerings ordained by Brahmā, when they are pleased, all the gods together with the ancestors are satisfied.

गयायां न हि तत्स्थानं यत्र तीर्थं न विद्यते। सान्निध्यं सर्व्वतीर्थानां गयातीर्थं ततो वरम् ।। ४३.

In Gayā, there is no place where a tīrtha is not found; because of the presence of all tīrthas, the tīrtha of Gayā is supreme.

मीने मेषे स्थिते सूर्य्ये कन्यायां कार्मुके घटे। दुर्ल्लभं त्रिषु लोकेषु गयायां पिण्डपातनम् ।। ४३.

When the sun is in Pisces, Aries, Virgo, Sagittarius, or Aquarius, offering piṇḍa at Gayā is rare in the three worlds.

मकरे वर्त्तमाने च ग्रहणे चन्द्रसूर्य्ययोः । दुर्ल्लभं त्रिषु लोकेषु गयाश्राद्धं सुदुर्ल्लभम् ।। ४३.

When the sun is in Capricorn, or during an eclipse of the sun or moon, performing śrāddha at Gayā is extremely rare in the three worlds.

गयायां पिण्डदानेन यत्फलं लभते नरः। न तच्छक्यं मया वक्तुं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ।। ४३.

The merit that a man obtains by offering oblations at Gaya cannot be described by me, not even in hundreds of millions of aeons.

नारद उवाच।। गयासुरः कथं जातः किंप्रभावः किमात्मकः । तपस्तप्तं कथं तेन कथं देहपवित्रता ।। ४४.

Narada said: How did Gayasura come to be? What is his power, what is his nature? How did he perform austerities, and how was his body purified?

सनत्कुमार उवाच।। विष्णोर्नाभ्यम्बुजाज्जातो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः। प्रजाः ससर्ज संप्रोक्तः पूर्व्वं देवेन विष्णुना ।। ४४.

Sanatkumara said: From the lotus of Vishnu's navel was born Brahma, the grandsire of the worlds. He created beings, as previously declared by the god Vishnu.

आसुरेणैव भावेन ह्यसुरानसृजत्पुरा। सौमनस्येन भावेन देवान्सुमनसोऽसृजत् ।। ४४.

With an asuric disposition, he formerly created the asuras; with a disposition of goodwill, he created the gods, those of good mind.

गयासुरोऽसुराणाञ्च महाबलपराक्रमः। योजनानां सपादञ्च शतं तस्योच्छ्रयः स्मृतः ।। ४४.

Gayasura, among the asuras, was of great strength and valor; his height is remembered as one hundred and a quarter yojanas.

स्थूलः षष्टिर्योजनानां श्रेष्ठोऽसौ वैष्णवः स्मृतः। कोलाहलगिरिवरे तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् ।। ४४.

He was massive, sixty yojanas in breadth, renowned as the foremost Vaishnava; at the summit of Kolahala mountain, he performed severe austerities.

बहुवर्षसहस्राणि निरुच्छ्वासं स्थिरोऽभवत्। तत्तपस्तापिता देवाः संक्षोभं परमं गताः ।। ४४.

For many thousands of years, he remained steadfast without breathing; the gods, afflicted by his austerity, were greatly disturbed.

ब्रह्मलोकं गता देवाः प्रोचुस्तेऽथ पितामहम्। गयासुराद्रक्ष देव ब्रह्मा देवांस्ततोऽब्रवीत् ।। ४४.

The gods went to Brahmaloka and addressed the grandsire: 'Protect us from Gayasura, O god.' Then Brahma spoke to the gods.

व्रजामः शङ्करं देवा ब्रह्माद्याश्च गताः शिवम्। कैलासे चाब्रुवन्नत्वा रक्ष देव महासुरात् ।। ४४.

Let us go to Shankara, the gods and Brahma went to Shiva; at Kailasa they addressed him: 'Protect us, O god, from the great asura.'

ब्रह्माद्यानब्रवीच्छम्भुर्व्रजामः शरणं हरिम्। क्षीराब्धौ देवदेवेशः स नः श्रेयो विधास्यति। ब्रह्मा महेश्वरो देवा विष्णुं नत्वा प्रतुष्टुवुः ।। ४४.

Shambhu said to Brahma and the others: 'Let us seek refuge in Hari.' In the ocean of milk, the lord of gods will grant us welfare. Brahma, Maheshvara, and the gods bowed to Vishnu and praised him.

देवा ऊचुः ।। ॐ नमो विष्णवो भर्त्रे सर्व्वेषां प्रभविष्णवे। रोचिष्णवे जिष्णवे च राक्षसादिग्रसिष्णवे ।। ४४.

The gods said: 'Om, obeisance to Vishnu, the lord and master of all, the radiant one, the victorious one, the devourer of rakshasas and others.'

धरिष्णवेऽखिलस्यास्य योगिनां पारयिष्णवे । वर्द्धिष्णवे ह्यनन्ताय नमो भ्राज्ष्णिवे नमः ।। ४४.

To the supporter of all, the savior of yogis, the increaser, the infinite one, obeisance to the shining one, obeisance.

सनत्कुमार उवाच।। एवं स्तुतो वासुदेवः सुराणां दर्शनं ददौ। किमर्थमागता देवा विष्णुनोक्तास्तमब्रुवन् ।। ४४.

Sanatkumara said: Thus praised, Vasudeva granted the gods his audience. Vishnu asked them why they had come, and they replied to him.

गयासुरभयाद्देव रक्षास्मानब्रवीद्धरिम्। ब्रह्माद्या यान्तु तं दैत्यमागमिष्याम्यहं ततः ।। ४४.

Out of fear of Gayasura, O god, protect us, they said to Hari. Brahma and the others should go to that demon; I will follow thereafter.