The Greatness of the Gaṅgā (Gaṅgā-māhātmya): Saudāsa/Kalmāṣapāda’s Curse and Release
षण्मासं तत्र गङ्गायां स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा सदाशिवम् । ब्राह्मणीदत्तश पात्तु मुक्तो मित्रसहोऽभवत् ॥ ४२ ॥
ṣaṇmāsaṃ tatra gaṅgāyāṃ snātvā dṛṣṭvā sadāśivam | brāhmaṇīdattaśa pāttu mukto mitrasaho'bhavat || 42 ||
Là, après s’être baigné dans la Gaṅgā durant six mois et avoir eu la vision de Sadāśiva, il fut délivré des liens. Protégé par le don accordé par une brāhmaṇī, il devint un homme accompagné d’un ami.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
It presents tīrtha-sevā as transformative: sustained Gaṅgā-snāna and Sadāśiva-darśana culminate in release from bondage, showing how sacred place, practice, and divine vision converge toward mokṣa.
Bhakti is implied through darśana—personally beholding Sadāśiva after disciplined practice. The verse frames liberation as arising from devoted engagement with the deity and holy rites rather than mere theory.
Ritual practice (kalpa-oriented conduct) is emphasized: the discipline of tīrtha-snāna over a defined period and the understanding of purity-by-rite (śaucācāra) as a lived dharmic observance.