Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 134
Vāmana’s Advent, Aditi’s Hymn, Bali’s Gift, and the Mahatmya of Bhū-dāna
गङ्गातीर्थाश्वमेधानां शतानि विधिवन्नरः । कृत्वा यत्फलमाप्वोति तदाप्नोति स पुष्कलम् ॥ ३४ ॥
gaṅgātīrthāśvamedhānāṃ śatāni vidhivannaraḥ | kṛtvā yatphalamāpvoti tadāpnoti sa puṣkalam || 34 ||
ഗംഗാതീർത്ഥയാത്രകൾ നൂറുനൂറായി, അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങൾ നൂറുനൂറായി വിധിപൂർവ്വം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം—അതേ സമൃദ്ധഫലം ഇവിടെയും ലഭിക്കുന്നു.
Nārada (within the Nārada–Sanatkumāra dialogue framework)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It emphasizes the extraordinary potency of the practice being discussed by equating its fruit with the vast merit of hundreds of Gaṅgā pilgrimages and Aśvamedha sacrifices performed strictly according to injunctions.
Though the verse speaks in the language of ritual merit (puṇya), its intent is to elevate a specific sacred practice as supremely efficacious—often a Purāṇic way of steering seekers from costly external rites toward a more accessible, inwardly grounded discipline aligned with devotion and dharma.
The key idea is vidhivat—performing acts according to rule—pointing to Kalpa (ritual procedure) and Dharmaśāstra-style injunctions that govern tīrtha observances and major yajñas like Aśvamedha.