Shloka 18
The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges
Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya
गंगागंगेति चाक्रुश्य मुच्यंते तेऽपि पातकात् । ये च स्मरंति वै गंगां गंगाभक्तिपराश्च ये ॥ १८ ॥
gaṃgāgaṃgeti cākruśya mucyaṃte te'pi pātakāt | ye ca smaraṃti vai gaṃgāṃ gaṃgābhaktiparāśca ye || 18 ||
Bahkan mereka yang hanya berseru “Gangga, Gangga!” pun dilepaskan dari dosa. Demikian pula mereka yang sungguh mengingat Gangga dan yang teguh dalam bhakti kepada Gangga, terbebas dari akibat dosa.
Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition; Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya narration)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that the Ganga’s sanctity is so potent that even vocal remembrance (calling her name) and mental remembrance (smaraṇa) can destroy sin (pātaka) and lead to purification.
It elevates bhakti as an accessible practice: devotion expressed through nāma-ucchāraṇa (uttering the name) and smaraṇa (remembrance) becomes a direct means to inner cleansing and spiritual merit in the tirtha-mahatmya context.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana or Jyotisha) is taught here; the practical takeaway is ritual-spiritual discipline—nāma-japa and smaraṇa as simple, repeatable practices connected with tirtha worship.