Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 105
Bhāgīratha’s Bringing of the Gaṅgā
श्रीशिव उवाच । दत्ता गङ्गा मया तुभ्यं पितॄणां ते गतिः परा । तुभ्यं मोक्षः परश्चेति तमुक्त्वान्तर्दधे शिवः ॥ १०५ ॥
śrīśiva uvāca | dattā gaṅgā mayā tubhyaṃ pitṝṇāṃ te gatiḥ parā | tubhyaṃ mokṣaḥ paraśceti tamuktvāntardadhe śivaḥ || 105 ||
Śrī Śiva said: “I have bestowed the Gaṅgā upon you. For your forefathers, her waters shall be the supreme passage; and for you there shall be the highest liberation.” Having spoken thus, Śiva vanished from sight.
Shiva
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse presents Gaṅgā as a divinely bestowed tirtha whose contact grants the highest upliftment for one’s ancestors, while also affirming that mokṣa ultimately comes through divine grace—here explicitly promised by Śiva.
By showing Śiva personally granting Gaṅgā and assuring liberation, the verse highlights bhakti’s core principle: surrender and divine favor (anugraha) can confer both ancestral benefit and the devotee’s final release.
Indirectly it supports Kalpa (ritual practice): Gaṅgā-water is treated as supremely efficacious for pitr̥-kriyā such as tarpaṇa and śrāddha, reinforcing correct ritual means for ancestral rites.