Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
नारद उवाच । क्षेत्राणामुत्तमं क्षेत्रं तीर्थानां च तथोत्तमम् । परया दयया तथवं ब्रूहिं शास्त्रार्थपारग ॥ २ ॥
nārada uvāca | kṣetrāṇāmuttamaṃ kṣetraṃ tīrthānāṃ ca tathottamam | parayā dayayā tathavaṃ brūhiṃ śāstrārthapāraga || 2 ||
Nārada sprach: O Kenner des wahren Sinnes der Śāstras, sage mir aus höchstem Mitgefühl: Welche ist unter den Kṣetras die beste Kṣetra, und welche ist unter den Tīrthas gleichermaßen die erhabenste?
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames a classic Purāṇic inquiry: identifying the highest kṣetra and tīrtha is a way to locate where dharma, purification, and devotion yield the greatest spiritual fruit.
Though it is a question rather than a doctrine, Nārada’s humility and request for compassionate instruction reflects the bhakti ethos—approaching a realized authority to learn what most effectively supports remembrance and worship.
The verse emphasizes śāstrārtha (scriptural purport) and the authority of a śāstra-knower; it implicitly points to disciplined interpretation (linked with Vyākaraṇa and Nirukta) when assessing tīrtha/kshetra claims and ritual merit.