Shloka 40
The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges
Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya
गङ्गास्नानेन भक्त्या तु मोदते दिवि देववत् । वर्षं स्नाति च गंगायां यो नरो भक्तिसंयुतः ॥ ४० ॥
gaṅgāsnānena bhaktyā tu modate divi devavat | varṣaṃ snāti ca gaṃgāyāṃ yo naro bhaktisaṃyutaḥ || 40 ||
Wer jedoch mit Bhakti in der Gaṅgā badet, erfreut sich im Himmel wie ein Deva. Der Mann, der ein volles Jahr lang in der Gaṅgā badet, von Hingabe erfüllt, erlangt solche göttliche Wonne.
Suta (narrating the tirtha-mahatmya teaching as received in the Narada tradition)
Vrata: none (year-long Gaṅgā-snāna observance implied)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that the fruit of a sacred bath is not merely physical purification; when joined with bhakti, Gaṅgā-snāna becomes a powerful dharmic act that yields heavenly joy (svarga-sukha) comparable to that of the devas.
The verse makes devotion the decisive factor: bathing in Gaṅgā is praised specifically when performed with bhakti, indicating that inner surrender and reverence activate the full spiritual potency of tirtha-sevā.
Ritual discipline (kalpa-oriented practice) is implied: regular, time-bound snāna (a year-long observance) with the correct devotional intention is presented as a structured sādhana rather than a one-time act.