Shloka 38
Narmadā-tīrtha-māhātmya — Bhṛgu-tīrtha to Sāgara-saṅgama
Pilgrimage Circuit, Gifts, Fasting, and Imperishable Merit
मनसा संस्मरेद्यस्तु नर्मदां वै युधिष्ठिर / चान्द्रायणशतं साग्रं लभते नात्र संशयः
manasā saṃsmaredyastu narmadāṃ vai yudhiṣṭhira / cāndrāyaṇaśataṃ sāgraṃ labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ
O Yudhiṣṭhira, whoever merely recalls Narmadā in the mind attains the merit of more than a hundred Cāndrāyaṇa observances—of this there is no doubt.
Narrator (Purāṇic sage) addressing King Yudhiṣṭhira
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It implies that inner orientation (mental remembrance) is spiritually efficacious—purification and merit arise from consciousness directed toward the sacred, aligning the mind toward dharma and ultimately toward the indwelling Self.
Smaraṇa (intentional recollection) is emphasized: a simple inward practice where the mind contemplates a sacred tīrtha (Narmadā), functioning as a purifying discipline comparable to major expiatory vows.
While not naming Śiva or Viṣṇu directly, it reflects the Purāṇic synthesis where sacred geography and inner devotion are shared means of purification across Shaiva-Vaishnava practice, valuing inward bhāva over external austerity alone.