Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Bāhu’s Envy, Defeat, Forest Exile, and Aurva’s Dharmic Consolation
सनक उवाच । शृणुष्व मुनिशार्दूल गंगामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । यज्जलस्पर्शमात्रेण पावितं सागरं कुलम् । गतं विष्णुपदं विप्र सर्वलोकोत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ २ ॥
sanaka uvāca | śṛṇuṣva muniśārdūla gaṃgāmāhātmyamuttamam | yajjalasparśamātreṇa pāvitaṃ sāgaraṃ kulam | gataṃ viṣṇupadaṃ vipra sarvalokottamottamam || 2 ||
Sanaka dit : « Ô tigre parmi les sages, écoute la suprême grandeur de la Gaṅgā. Par le seul contact de son eau, la lignée de Sagara fut purifiée et parvint au Viṣṇu-pada, demeure éminente au-delà de tous les mondes, ô brāhmaṇa. »
Sanaka
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that Gaṅgā is a uniquely purifying tīrtha: even minimal contact with her water can remove grave impurity and lead beings toward Viṣṇu’s abode (mokṣa), illustrated through the purification of Sagara’s lineage.
By linking Gaṅgā’s sanctity directly to “Viṣṇu-pada,” the verse frames tīrtha-sevā (reverent contact with sacred waters) as an act supportive of Viṣṇu-bhakti—purification becomes the ground for devotion culminating in liberation.
It implicitly reflects Kalpa (ritual practice) through tīrtha-related observances—such as śauca (purificatory discipline) and snāna—showing how prescribed ritual purity supports dharma and mokṣa aims.