Shloka 40
The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā
प्रभासे गोसहस्त्रेण राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । यत्फलं लभते मर्त्यो गंगायां तद्दिनेन वै ॥ ४१ ॥
prabhāse gosahastreṇa rāhugraste divākare | yatphalaṃ labhate martyo gaṃgāyāṃ taddinena vai || 41 ||
In Prabhāsa, wenn Rāhu die Sonne verfinstert und man tausend Kühe verschenkt, wird das Verdienst, das ein Sterblicher dort erlangt, an der Gaṅgā in nur einem einzigen Tag gewonnen.
Narada (teaching in the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue, traditionally framed for the Sanatkumara brothers)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It elevates Gaṅgā-tīrtha as supremely merit-giving, stating that the fruit of an extraordinary eclipse-time charity at Prabhāsa is matched simply by spending one day at the Gaṅgā (with tirtha-sevā such as snāna, japa, and worship).
By ranking sacred presence at Gaṅgā above costly ritual charity, it implies that grace-filled tīrtha-sevā and remembrance of the Divine associated with Gaṅgā can yield swift spiritual fruit—supporting a bhakti-oriented view where sincere practice matters more than material magnitude.
It uses a Jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology) marker—Rāhu’s seizure of the sun (solar eclipse)—as a dharma-timing indicator for dāna and ritual merit, showing how auspicious/critical times intensify the results of religious acts.