Shloka 91
Pūjādi-kathana — Gaṅgā Vratas, Tenfold Worship, Stotra, and Mokṣa on the Riverbank
यथा गौरी तथा गंगा तस्माद्गौर्यास्तु पूजने । विधिर्यो विहितः सम्यक्सोऽपि गंगाप्रपूजने ॥ ९१ ॥
yathā gaurī tathā gaṃgā tasmādgauryāstu pūjane | vidhiryo vihitaḥ samyakso'pi gaṃgāprapūjane || 91 ||
Just as Gaurī is worshipped, so too should Gaṅgā be worshipped. Therefore, the rite rightly prescribed for the worship of Gaurī is likewise to be applied in the complete worship of Gaṅgā.
Narada (teaching in the Ganga-Mahatmya context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It equates Gaṅgā with Gaurī in devotional status, teaching that Gaṅgā is not merely a river but a divine Śakti worthy of the same śāstric reverence and methodical worship.
It directs bhakti into disciplined practice: devotion to Gaṅgā should be expressed through a properly enjoined pūjā-vidhi, treating the deity with the same honor and completeness as in established Śakti worship.
It emphasizes kalpa (ritual procedure)—the principle that a valid, śāstra-based vidhi used for one deity (Gaurī) can be applied analogically to another (Gaṅgā) when the text establishes their equivalence.