Shloka 13
The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā
प्रकृष्टैः पातकै र्घोरैः पापिनः पुरुषाधमान् । प्रसह्य तारयेद्गुंगा गच्छतो निरयेऽशुचौ ॥ १४ ॥
prakṛṣṭaiḥ pātakai rghoraiḥ pāpinaḥ puruṣādhamān | prasahya tārayedguṃgā gacchato niraye'śucau || 14 ||
Même les plus pécheurs—les plus vils parmi les hommes—chargés de fautes terribles et se dirigeant vers l’enfer impur, la Gaṅgā les fait passer de force, jusqu’à la délivrance.
Suta (narrating the tirtha-mahatmya section; traditional Purana frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It proclaims the extraordinary salvific power (tāraka-śakti) of the Ganga: even those headed to naraka due to severe pātakas can be rescued through her purifying grace as a supreme tirtha.
By elevating Ganga as a divine agency of deliverance, the verse supports bhakti in the form of tirtha-śraddhā—reverent reliance on sacred presence—where surrender and faith in the holy tirtha lead to purification and a turn toward dharmic life.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is dharma-śāstric prayāścitta through tirtha practices (e.g., Ganga-snana, japa, and offerings) emphasized in Purāṇic ritual culture.