Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
संसारदुःख विच्छेदि गङ्गानाम प्रकीर्तितम् । तथा तुलस्या भक्तिश्च हरिकीर्तिप्रवक्तरि ॥ २६ ॥
saṃsāraduḥkha vicchedi gaṅgānāma prakīrtitam | tathā tulasyā bhaktiśca harikīrtipravaktari || 26 ||
ગંગા-નામને સંસારદુઃખ છેદનારું કહીને પ્રકીર્તિત કર્યું છે; તેમ જ તુલસી પ્રત્યે ભક્તિ અને હરિ-કીર્તિ કહેનાર પ્રત્યે ભક્તિ પણ (પરમ પાવન) છે।
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It elevates three purifiers—Gaṅgā’s name, devotion to Tulasī, and Hari-kīrtana—stating that they sever saṃsāra-duḥkha (the suffering bound to worldly life).
Bhakti is shown as accessible through concrete devotional practices: reverent remembrance (nāma) of Gaṅgā, worshipful devotion to Tulasī, and proclaiming/reciting the glory of Hari—acts that cultivate sustained devotion and purify the heart.
Primarily śikṣā and vyākaraṇa in practice: correct recitation and articulation of sacred names (nāma-japa) and kīrtana, where sound-discipline and precise utterance are treated as spiritually consequential.