Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Gaṅgāmāhātmya

Devanagari script

यन्मज्जनं महापुण्यं दुर्लभं त्रिदिवौकसाम् । सारूप्यदायकं विष्णोः किमस्मात्कथ्यते परम ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

yanmajjanaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ durlabhaṃ tridivaukasām | sārūpyadāyakaṃ viṣṇoḥ kimasmātkathyate parama || 15 ||

Translation

Dieses Untertauchen an jenem heiligen Ort ist von höchstem Verdienst, selten selbst für die Bewohner des Himmels, und es verleiht sārūpya — die Gleichgestalt mit Herrn Viṣṇu. Was Höheres als dies ließe sich noch sagen?

Word by Word

• yat: which
• yat: Visheshya (विशेष्य/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1/2 विभक्ति), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• majjanaṃ: bathing/immersion
• majjanaṃ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: majjana (प्रातिपदिक; √majj (धातु) + lyuṭ)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1), Singular; action-noun (भाववाचक)

• mahā-puṇyaṃ: greatly meritorious
• mahā-puṇyaṃ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1), Singular; adjective qualifying majjanaṃ

• durlabhaṃ: hard to obtain
• durlabhaṃ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1), Singular; adjective qualifying majjanaṃ

• tridiva-okasām: of the heavenly dwellers (gods)
• tridiva-okasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridiva (प्रातिपदिक) + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Plural (बहुवचन); okas = dwelling; ‘of the dwellers in heaven’

• sārūpya-dāyakaṃ: bestowing likeness (to Vishnu)
• sārūpya-dāyakaṃ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sārūpya (प्रातिपदिक) + dāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1), Singular; adjective qualifying majjanaṃ

• viṣṇoḥ: of Vishnu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; interrogative pronoun used adverbially

• asmāt: from this/than this
• asmāt: Apadana (अपादान/पञ्चमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative (5 विभक्ति), Singular; pronoun

• kathyate: is said/told
• kathyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Passive (कर्मणि), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative (1/2), Singular; used predicatively/adverbially ‘as supreme’

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares that sacred immersion (tīrtha-snāna) is an exceptionally powerful purifier whose fruit can culminate in sārūpya—attaining a form or likeness aligned with Lord Viṣṇu—presented as one of the highest attainable outcomes.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By stating that the act leads to Viṣṇu’s sārūpya, it frames ritual bathing not as mere external karma but as devotion-oriented practice whose highest aim is closeness and conformity to Viṣṇu, a classic bhakti-oriented liberation ideal.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual practice is implied: correct performance of snāna (timing, purity rules, and intention/saṅkalpa) aligns with Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharmaśāstra-style discipline, emphasizing that tīrtha rites are structured, not random.