Shloka 15
The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges
Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya
अपि दुष्कृतकर्मा हि लभते परमां गतिम् । स्मरणादेव गंगायाः पापसंघातपंजरम् ॥ १५ ॥
api duṣkṛtakarmā hi labhate paramāṃ gatim | smaraṇādeva gaṃgāyāḥ pāpasaṃghātapaṃjaram || 15 ||
Selbst wer schlimme Taten begangen hat, erlangt das höchste Ziel allein durch das Gedenken an die Gaṅgā; denn dieses Gedenken zerschlägt den käfiggleichen Verschluss aus einer Masse von Sünden.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that the sanctity of the Gaṅgā is so great that even simple remembrance (smaraṇa) can break the bondage created by accumulated sins and lead one toward the highest spiritual end (paramā gati).
By emphasizing smaraṇa—devotional recollection—as a potent practice: heartfelt remembrance of a sacred embodiment of purity (Gaṅgā) functions like bhakti, dissolving inner impurity and orienting the mind toward liberation.
No specific Vedāṅga technique is taught here; the practical takeaway is a dhārmic sādhana principle—smaraṇa (recollection) as an accessible purificatory practice within tirtha-mahātmya traditions.