Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 30
Ekādaśī Vrata-Vidhi and the Galava–Bhadrashīla Itihāsa
Dharmakīrti before Yama
नास्ति गङ्गासमं तीर्थं नास्ति मातृसमोगुरुः । नास्तु विष्णुसमं दैवं तपो नानशनात्परम् ॥ ३० ॥
nāsti gaṅgāsamaṃ tīrthaṃ nāsti mātṛsamoguruḥ | nāstu viṣṇusamaṃ daivaṃ tapo nānaśanātparam || 30 ||
There is no sacred ford (tīrtha) equal to the Gaṅgā, no teacher equal to one’s mother. There is no deity equal to Viṣṇu, and no austerity higher than fasting.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a didactic sequence of dharma and devotion)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse establishes a hierarchy of sacred supports: Gaṅgā as the foremost tīrtha, the mother as the highest guru, Viṣṇu as the supreme deity, and fasting as a pinnacle form of tapas—framing devotion and discipline as direct means to purification.
By declaring Viṣṇu unsurpassed among deities, it centers worship and surrender on Viṣṇu; the paired emphasis on tīrtha (Gaṅgā) and tapas (fasting) portrays bhakti as supported by purifying practices and self-restraint.
It most directly points to kalpa/prayoga (ritual discipline) through vrata practice—fasting (anāśana) as a regulated austerity—often connected in Purāṇic practice to vows like Ekādaśī and tīrtha-oriented observances.