Shloka 108
सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्
ततः प्रभवति ब्रह्मन् सर्वपापहरा सरित् गङ्गा देवाङ्गनाङ्गानाम् अनुलेपनपिञ्जरा
tataḥ prabhavati brahman sarvapāpaharā sarit gaṅgā devāṅganāṅgānām anulepanapiñjarā
From that source, O Brahmin, arises the river Gaṅgā, destroyer of all sin, tawny-hued as though stained by the celestial unguents of the divine nymphs.
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya as 'brahman')
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Origin of Gaṅgā from the divine source and her sin-destroying nature
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: compassionate
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: Gaṅgā, arising from the divine source, is extolled as a purifier that destroys sins.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Approach sacred rivers and tīrthas with reverence, using pilgrimage, remembrance, and ethical renewal as instruments of inner purification.
Vishishtadvaita: Material waters become sacred by connection to Bhagavān—showing the world as His śarīra (body) capable of conveying grace.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse frames Gaṅgā as a divinely-originating river whose very flow is a theological instrument of purification—removing sin and restoring alignment with dharma.
Through descriptive, image-rich markers—origin, sanctifying capacity, and divine associations—Parāśara situates rivers like Gaṅgā as living features of the cosmos that uphold moral and ritual order.
Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the Purana’s worldview treats holy rivers and their power as expressions of the Supreme Lord’s governance of the universe—where purification and grace operate within His cosmic order.