Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
पुराणश्रवणे भक्तिर्गङ्गास्नानसमा द्विज । तद्वक्तरि च या भक्तिः सा प्रयागोपमा स्मृता ॥ ५६ ॥
purāṇaśravaṇe bhaktirgaṅgāsnānasamā dvija | tadvaktari ca yā bhaktiḥ sā prayāgopamā smṛtā || 56 ||
হে দ্বিজ! পুরাণ শ্রবণে যে ভক্তি জাগে, তা গঙ্গাস্নানের সমান। আর সেই পুরাণের বক্তার প্রতি যে ভক্তি, তা প্রয়াগের তুল্য বলে স্মৃত।
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It equates Purāṇa-śravaṇa (devotional listening) with major tīrtha-merit, teaching that sincere hearing of sacred lore is itself a powerful purifier like Gaṅgā-snāna, and honoring the expounder carries exceptionally high sanctity like Prayāga.
It frames bhakti as an active practice expressed through attentive listening (śravaṇa) and reverence for the teacher (vaktṛ-bhakti), showing that devotion grows through katha, satsanga, and respectful receptivity to dharma-teachings.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is dharmic conduct in learning—śravaṇa as a discipline and proper ācāra toward the katha-vaktā (teacher/reciter).