Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
यत्र स्नातं नरं दृष्ट्वा पापोऽपि स्वर्गभूमिभाक् । मदङ्गस्पर्शेमात्रेण देवानामाधिपो भवेत् ॥ १९ ॥
yatra snātaṃ naraṃ dṛṣṭvā pāpo'pi svargabhūmibhāk | madaṅgasparśemātreṇa devānāmādhipo bhavet || 19 ||
In that sacred place, even a sinner—merely by seeing a man who has bathed there—becomes worthy of heaven; and by the mere touch of my body, one may become the lord of the gods.
Narada (describing the extraordinary merit of a sacred tirtha/holy presence)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches the Purāṇic principle that association with sanctity—through bathing, seeing the purified, or sacred touch—can rapidly destroy sin (pāpa) and generate merit (puṇya), culminating in eligibility for svarga and higher spiritual uplift.
By emphasizing darśana (seeing) and sparśa (touch) as spiritually transformative, it aligns with bhakti’s stress on direct contact with the holy—devotees seek sacred presence because grace can operate even when one’s past is sinful.
Ritual practice (kalpa-oriented conduct) is implied: tīrtha-snānā (bathing rules), purity through contact, and the doctrine of snāna-phala—practical dharma guidance rather than a technical lesson in vyākaraṇa or jyotiṣa.