Shloka 104
Pūjādi-kathana — Gaṅgā Vratas, Tenfold Worship, Stotra, and Mokṣa on the Riverbank
गंगां गत्वा यैः शरीरं विसृष्टं प्राप्ता धीरास्ते तु देवैः समत्वम् । तस्मात्सुर्वान्प्रोह्य मुक्तिप्रदान्वै सेवेद्गंगामा शरीरस्य पातम् ॥ १०४ ॥
gaṃgāṃ gatvā yaiḥ śarīraṃ visṛṣṭaṃ prāptā dhīrāste tu devaiḥ samatvam | tasmātsurvānprohya muktipradānvai sevedgaṃgāmā śarīrasya pātam || 104 ||
Die Standhaften, die zur Gaṅgā gehen und dort ihren Leib ablegen, erlangen Gleichheit mit den Göttern. Darum soll man, die Götter—Spender der Befreiung—ehrend, der Gaṅgā dienen und begehren, dass dort das endgültige Niederfallen des Körpers geschehe.
Suta (narrating the Ganga-mahatmya as transmitted in the Purana)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents the Gaṅgā-tīrtha as a mokṣa-bestowing locus: relinquishing the body at the Gaṅgā is praised as leading to deva-samatva (a divine state), emphasizing the salvific power of sacred place (tīrtha) and sacred death (antya-kāla at a holy river).
Bhakti is implied through “sevet gaṅgām”—serving and revering the Gaṅgā as a divine manifestation. The verse frames liberation not merely as an idea but as a devotional orientation toward a sacred form connected with the devas and dharma.
The verse is primarily tīrtha-dharma rather than a Vedāṅga lesson; practically, it points to ritual conduct (tīrtha-sevā, deva-pūjana, and sacred bathing/observance) as supportive disciplines aligned with dharma and the pursuit of mokṣa.