Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 63

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Gaṅgāmāhātmya

Devanagari script

गायत्री छन्दसां माता माता लोकस्य जाह्नवी । उभे ते सर्वपापानां नाशकारणतां गते ॥ ६३ ॥

Transliteration

gāyatrī chandasāṃ mātā mātā lokasya jāhnavī | ubhe te sarvapāpānāṃ nāśakāraṇatāṃ gate || 63 ||

Translation

Gāyatrī est la mère de tous les mètres védiques; Jāhnavī (la Gaṅgā) est la mère du monde. Toutes deux sont devenues la cause de la destruction de tous les péchés.

Word by Word

• gāyatrī: Gayatri
• gāyatrī: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• chandasām: of the Vedic metres
• chandasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mātā: mother
• mātā: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• mātā: mother
• mātā: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• lokasya: of the world
• lokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• jāhnavī: Jahnavi (Ganga)
• jāhnavī: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāhnavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ubhe: both
• ubhe: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• te: those (two)
• te: Anuvṛtti/Karta (अनुवृत्ति/subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• sarva-pāpānām: of all sins
• sarva-pāpānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘sarveṣāṃ pāpānām’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• nāśa-kāraṇatām: the state of being the cause of destruction
• nāśa-kāraṇatām: Karma (कर्म/object of ‘to attain’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘nāśasya kāraṇatā’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• gate: have attained
• gate: Kriya (क्रिया/predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु) + kta (क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त) used predicatively; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन) agreeing with ‘ubhe te’; sense: ‘having attained’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri
• Ganga
• Jahnavi

FAQs

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

It elevates two supreme purifiers—Gāyatrī (as the essence of Vedic chandas and mantra-japa) and Gaṅgā (as the foremost tīrtha)—stating that both function as direct causes for the removal of sin (pāpa-kṣaya).

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

By honoring Gāyatrī through reverent japa and approaching Gaṅgā as a sacred presence, the devotee practices surrender and sacred remembrance—devotional acts that purify the heart and support steady bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to Chandas (a Vedāṅga) by calling Gāyatrī the “mother of metres,” implying the practical importance of correct metrical/mantric recitation for effective japa and ritual purity.