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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Bāhu’s Envy, Defeat, Forest Exile, and Aurva’s Dharmic Consolation

सनक उवाच । शृणुष्व मुनिशार्दूल गंगामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । यज्जलस्पर्शमात्रेण पावितं सागरं कुलम् । गतं विष्णुपदं विप्र सर्वलोकोत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ २ ॥

sanaka uvāca | śṛṇuṣva muniśārdūla gaṃgāmāhātmyamuttamam | yajjalasparśamātreṇa pāvitaṃ sāgaraṃ kulam | gataṃ viṣṇupadaṃ vipra sarvalokottamottamam || 2 ||

សនកៈបានមានពាក្យថា៖ «ឱ មុនីដ៏ក្លាហានដូចខ្លា សូមស្តាប់មហិមាដ៏ឧត្តមនៃគង្គា។ ដោយតែការប៉ះទឹករបស់នាងប៉ុណ្ណោះ វង្សសគរា ត្រូវបានបរិសុទ្ធ ហើយឈានដល់វិស្ណុបទ—ស្ថានដ៏ល្អឥតខ្ចោះលើសលោកទាំងអស់ ឱ ព្រាហ្មណ៍»។

सनकःSanaka
सनकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसनक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√वच् (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular
शृणुष्वlisten
शृणुष्व:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√श्रु (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 2nd person, Singular; parasmaipada
मुनि-शार्दूलO tiger among sages
मुनि-शार्दूल:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular; संबोधन: 'O tiger among sages'
गङ्गा-माहात्म्यम्the greatness of Gaṅgā
गङ्गा-माहात्म्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; object of 'listen'
उत्तमम्excellent
उत्तमम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; adjective qualifying 'माहात्म्यम्'
यत्by which
यत्:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular in sense 'by which' (relative)
जल-स्पर्श-मात्रेणby mere touch of (its) water
जल-स्पर्श-मात्रेण:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootजल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; 'by mere touch of water'
पावितम्purified
पावितम्:
Karta (कर्ता; patient as subject)
TypeVerb
Root√पू (धातु) (causative √पावय्)
FormPast passive participle (क्त); Neuter, Nominative, Singular; agrees with 'कुलम्'
सागरम्of Sagara
सागरम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसागर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying 'कुलम्' meaning 'of Sagara'
कुलम्family; lineage
कुलम्:
Karta (कर्ता; patient-subject with PPP)
TypeNoun
Rootकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
गतम्gone; attained
गतम्:
Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√गम् (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त); Neuter, Nominative, Singular; agrees with 'कुलम्'
विष्णु-पदम्Viṣṇu’s abode
विष्णु-पदम्:
Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; goal of motion with 'गतम्'
विप्रO brāhmaṇa
विप्र:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular; संबोधन
सर्व-लोक-उत्तम-उत्तमम्supremely best among all worlds
सर्व-लोक-उत्तम-उत्तमम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular; multi-member tatpuruṣa intensifying: 'best of the best among all worlds'; qualifies 'विष्णुपदम्'

Sanaka

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

S
Sanaka
G
Ganga
S
Sagara
V
Vishnu

FAQs

It teaches that Gaṅgā is a uniquely purifying tīrtha: even minimal contact with her water can remove grave impurity and lead beings toward Viṣṇu’s abode (mokṣa), illustrated through the purification of Sagara’s lineage.

By linking Gaṅgā’s sanctity directly to “Viṣṇu-pada,” the verse frames tīrtha-sevā (reverent contact with sacred waters) as an act supportive of Viṣṇu-bhakti—purification becomes the ground for devotion culminating in liberation.

It implicitly reflects Kalpa (ritual practice) through tīrtha-related observances—such as śauca (purificatory discipline) and snāna—showing how prescribed ritual purity supports dharma and mokṣa aims.