Shloka 12

The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

भूतानामिह सर्वेषां दुःखोपहतचेतसाम् । गतिमन्वेषमाणानां न गंगासदृशी गतिः ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

bhūtānāmiha sarveṣāṃ duḥkhopahatacetasām | gatimanveṣamāṇānāṃ na gaṃgāsadṛśī gatiḥ || 13 ||

Translation

ສຳລັບສັດທັງປວງໃນໂລກນີ້ ຜູ້ມີໃຈຖືກຄວາມທຸກທົນບີບຄັ້ນ ແລະກຳລັງສະແຫວງຫາທີ່ພຶ່ງອັນແທ້—ບໍ່ມີທີ່ພຶ່ງໃດເທົ່າກັບແມ່ນ້ຳຄັງຄາ.

Word by Word

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (agreeing with भूतानाम्), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दुःख-उपहत-चेतसाम्: whose minds are afflicted by sorrow
• दुःख-उपहत-चेतसाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + उपहत (√हन् धातु, क्त) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुवचन, षष्ठी (Genitive); (लिङ्ग-निर्देशः) चेतस्-आश्रयात् नपुंसक/पुं-प्रयोगः; ‘whose minds are afflicted by sorrow’

• गतिम्: a path/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• अन्वेषमाणानाम्: of those seeking
• अन्वेषमाणानाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + इष्/एष् (धातु ‘अन्वेष्’), शतृ (present participle)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle/वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैभावे; षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of those seeking’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• गंगा-सदृशी: like the Ganga / comparable to the Ganga
• गंगा-सदृशी: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधान-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण of गतिः

• गतिः: a path/goal
• गतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada within the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga

FAQs

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

It declares the Gaṅgā as the highest “gati” (refuge/means of deliverance) for sorrow-stricken beings, emphasizing her role as a purifier and a liberating tirtha in the Uttara-Bhāga.

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

By presenting the Gaṅgā as an unmatched refuge, the verse supports bhakti-oriented surrender: approaching a sacred tirtha with faith, humility, and remembrance becomes a practical form of devotion that turns suffering into spiritual momentum.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Śikṣā) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is tirtha-dharma—pilgrimage and sacred bathing (snāna) as purificatory disciplines within smārta-paurāṇic practice.