Shloka 2
Description of the Rules for Charitable Gifts and Related Rites
Gaṅgā-māhātmya
यैः पुण्यवाहिनी गंगा सकृद्भक्त्यावगाहिता । तेषां कुलानां लक्षं तु भवात्तारयते शिवा ॥ २ ॥
yaiḥ puṇyavāhinī gaṃgā sakṛdbhaktyāvagāhitā | teṣāṃ kulānāṃ lakṣaṃ tu bhavāttārayate śivā || 2 ||
Ceux qui, avec dévotion, se sont immergés ne fût-ce qu’une seule fois dans la Gaṅgā, sainte rivière porteuse de mérite, la bienfaisante Gaṅgā Devī (Śivā) délivre de l’attache mondaine cent mille générations de leur lignée.
Narada (narrative voice within the Tirtha-Mahatmya context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that even a single devotional immersion in the Gaṅgā has vast salvific power, extending beyond the individual to uplift and liberate many generations of one’s lineage from saṁsāra.
The verse emphasizes bhakti as the key qualifier—Gaṅgā-snān is not presented as mere ritual purity, but as a devotional act that becomes a vehicle for crossing over worldly bondage.
Ritual practice (kalpa-oriented tirtha-snān) is implied: performing sacred bathing with proper intent (bhakti) and purity of conduct is treated as a dhārmic observance within tirtha-mahātmya traditions.