Shloka 15

Kāśī-māhātmya: Avimukta Gaṅgā and the Pañcanada Tīrtha

Devanagari script

हरेन्महापापसंघान्कूलजानिव पादपान् । किरणा धूतपापा च पुण्यतोया सरस्वती ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

harenmahāpāpasaṃghānkūlajāniva pādapān | kiraṇā dhūtapāpā ca puṇyatoyā sarasvatī || 15 ||

Translation

Die heilige Sarasvatī, deren Wasser voller Verdienst ist, trägt große Ansammlungen von Sünde fort — wie eine starke Strömung die Uferbäume mitreißt; und wie Sonnenstrahlen wäscht sie die Sünde hinweg.

Word by Word

• haret: would remove
• haret: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• mahā-pāpa-saṃghān: heaps of great sins
• mahā-pāpa-saṃghān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष ‘masses/collections of great sins’

• kūla-jāni: bank-born
• kūla-jāni: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of pādapān)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kūla (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष ‘born on the bank/shore’ qualifying pādapān

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle (उपमार्थक अव्यय)

• pādapān: trees
• pādapān: Karma (कर्म; object of implied comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• kiraṇā: Kiraṇā (name)
• kiraṇā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• dhūta-pāpā: sin-cleansed
• dhūta-pāpā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of kiraṇā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhū (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त) → dhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहि ‘whose sins are removed’ qualifying kiraṇā

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• puṇya-toyā: with holy water
• puṇya-toyā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of sarasvatī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय ‘having holy water’ qualifying sarasvatī

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī (river/goddess)
• sarasvatī: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta (narrating Narada Purana’s Uttara-Bhaga tīrtha-māhātmya section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvati

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It proclaims Sarasvatī as a powerful tīrtha whose holy waters eradicate even great accumulations of sin, emphasizing purification (pāpa-kṣaya) through contact with sacred places.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By glorifying Sarasvatī’s sanctity, the verse supports devotional reverence toward tīrthas as manifestations of divine grace—approaching, honoring, and bathing with faith becomes a bhakti-infused act of purification.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily kalpa/prayoga (ritual practice): the implied discipline is tīrtha-snānā (sacred bathing) and related observances performed with purity and right intention, rather than a technical lesson in grammar or astrology.