Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Gaṅgāmāhātmya

Devanagari script

गङ्गायाः परमं नाम पापारण्यदवानलः । भवव्याधिहरा गङ्गा तस्मात्सेव्या प्रयत्नतः ॥ ६१ ॥

Transliteration

gaṅgāyāḥ paramaṃ nāma pāpāraṇyadavānalaḥ | bhavavyādhiharā gaṅgā tasmātsevyā prayatnataḥ || 61 ||

Translation

Nama tertinggi Gangga ialah “api rimba yang membakar hutan dosa.” Gangga melenyapkan penyakit samsara; maka hendaklah ia dihormati dan dilayani dengan sungguh-sungguh.

Word by Word

• gaṅgāyāḥ: of the Ganga
• gaṅgāyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• nāma: name
• nāma: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pāpa-araṇya-davānalaḥ: the wildfire of the forest of sins
• pāpa-araṇya-davānalaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + araṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + davānala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) chain: ‘pāpānām araṇyam’ + ‘tasya davānalaḥ’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhava-vyādhi-harā: removing the disease of worldly existence
• bhava-vyādhi-harā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + vyādhi (प्रातिपदिक) + hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘bhava-vyādhiṃ harati’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gaṅgā: Ganga
• gaṅgā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु/cause marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तस्मात्-प्रभृति अव्यय), ‘therefore/from that reason’

• sevyā: should be served
• sevyā: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण/predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sevya (सेव् धातु + यत् प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Gerundive/obligative (यत्-कृदन्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘to be served/attended’

• prayatnataḥ: with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययवत्), ‘with effort/earnestly’

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares Gaṅgā’s highest epithet as the “wildfire that burns the forest of sins,” teaching that her sanctity is not merely physical water but a purifying divine power that destroys pāpa and alleviates saṃsāra’s afflictions.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By urging “sevyā prayatnataḥ” (serve with diligence), it frames reverent service to Gaṅgā—through remembrance, worship, and respectful approach to the tīrtha—as an act of devotion that supports inner purification and liberation-oriented living.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical takeaway is the use of nāma (sacred name/epithet) as a focused devotional practice—remembering and reciting Gaṅgā’s purifying name—aligned with mantra-oriented discipline (connected broadly with Śikṣā/phonetic care and ritual application).