Shloka 10

Kāśī-māhātmya: Avimukta Gaṅgā and the Pañcanada Tīrtha

Devanagari script

उत्तराभिमुखीं गंगां काश्यामायांति चान्वहम् । महापातकदोषादिदुष्टानां स्पर्शनोद्भवम् ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

uttarābhimukhīṃ gaṃgāṃ kāśyāmāyāṃti cānvaham | mahāpātakadoṣādiduṣṭānāṃ sparśanodbhavam || 10 ||

Translation

En Kāśī, día tras día la gente acude a la Gaṅgā que fluye hacia el norte; para quienes están manchados por grandes pecados y otras faltas, la purificación nace del solo contacto con Ella.

Word by Word

• उत्तराभिमुखीम्: north-facing / flowing northward
• उत्तराभिमुखीम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर-अभिमुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गङ्गाम्)

• गंगाम्: Ganga
• गंगाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kashi
• काश्याम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• आयान्ति: come
• आयान्ति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: आ-

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अन्वहम्: daily
• अन्वहम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb of time: day by day/daily)

• महापातकदोषादिदुष्टानाम्: of the wicked (people) with great sins, faults, etc.
• महापातकदोषादिदुष्टानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक-दोष-आदि-दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (दुष्ट-शब्द), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); 'आदि' = etc.

• स्पर्शनोद्भवम्: arising from contact (touch-born effect)
• स्पर्शनोद्भवम्: विशेष्य/विधेय (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.) एकवचन; here as predicate-noun (result arising from touch)

Speaker

Suta (narrating Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue contextually)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Kashi

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares Kāśī’s Gaṅgā—especially as northward-flowing—as a supreme tīrtha whose mere touch generates purification even for those burdened with mahāpātakas and other doṣas.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While focused on tīrtha-māhātmya, it supports bhakti by directing devotees to daily approach Gaṅgā in Kāśī with faith (śraddhā), treating contact with the sacred river as a devotional act that removes obstacles to God-centered life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It primarily reflects Dharma-śāstra/prāyaścitta practice (ritual purification through tīrtha-sparśa and snāna); no specific technical Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is explicitly taught in this verse.