Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 55
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
पुराणसंहितावक्ता हरिरित्यभिधीयते । तद्भक्तिं कुर्वतां नॄणां गङ्गास्नानं दिने दिने ॥ ५५ ॥
purāṇasaṃhitāvaktā harirityabhidhīyate | tadbhaktiṃ kurvatāṃ nṝṇāṃ gaṅgāsnānaṃ dine dine || 55 ||
He who expounds the compendium of the Purāṇas is said to be Hari Himself; for those who cultivate devotion to Him, it is as though they bathe in the Gaṅgā day after day.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It equates the sincere expounder of Purāṇic teaching with Hari and states that practicing devotion to Hari grants purification comparable to the daily merit of bathing in the sacred Gaṅgā.
Bhakti is presented as a direct purifier: sustained devotion to Hari yields continual spiritual cleansing, even without relying solely on external acts, while also honoring Purāṇa-kathā as a powerful devotional practice.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is ritual theology—Purāṇa-śravaṇa/pravacana and Hari-bhakti are framed as daily sources of puṇya comparable to tīrtha-snāna.