Shloka 32
The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges
Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya
तथापहत्य पाप्मानं भाति गंगाजलोक्षितः । एकेनैवापि विधिना स्नानेन नृपसुन्दरि ॥ ३२ ॥
tathāpahatya pāpmānaṃ bhāti gaṃgājalokṣitaḥ | ekenaivāpi vidhinā snānena nṛpasundari || 32 ||
So wirft man die Sünde ab, und wer vom Wasser der Gaṅgā berührt wird oder darin badet, erstrahlt — o Schöne aus königlichem Geschlecht — schon durch ein einziges Bad, nach dem vorgeschriebenen Ritus vollzogen.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It declares the Gaṅgā as a purifying tīrtha: even one bath performed according to vidhi removes pāpa (sinful taint) and makes the person spiritually radiant (bhāti).
By praising Gaṅgā-jala as sacred, it supports bhakti-oriented tīrtha-sevā: approaching holy waters with faith and proper observance becomes a devotional act that cleanses obstacles to remembrance of the Divine.
It emphasizes vidhi (procedural correctness) in snāna—i.e., ritual discipline aligned with kalpa-style practice (ritual method), indicating that intention and prescribed performance together yield the stated fruit.