Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
विष्णुपादोद्भवा देवी विश्वेश्वरशिरः स्थिता । संसेव्या मुनिभिर्देवः किं पुनः पामरैर्जनै ॥ १३ ॥
viṣṇupādodbhavā devī viśveśvaraśiraḥ sthitā | saṃsevyā munibhirdevaḥ kiṃ punaḥ pāmarairjanai || 13 ||
ഹേ ദേവീ! വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ പാദത്തിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിച്ച് വിശ്വേശ്വരന്റെ ശിരസ്സിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതയായ നീ മുനിമാരാലും സേവിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; പിന്നെ സാധാരണ ജനങ്ങൾ എത്രയോ അധികം വന്ദിക്കേണ്ടതല്ലേ!
Sanatkumāra (one of the Kumāras), instructing Nārada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
The verse establishes Gaṅgā’s supreme sanctity: she is Viṣṇu-pādodbhavā (issuing from Viṣṇu’s feet) and honored even by Viśveśvara (Śiva), so her worship and association are presented as universally purifying and dharmic.
It teaches reverence through hierarchical praise: if realized sages serve her, ordinary devotees should do so with even greater humility—turning sacred service (sevanā) into a practical form of bhakti connected to Viṣṇu and the holy tīrtha tradition.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is tīrtha-dharma—serving and honoring a sanctified river (Gaṅgā) as a purificatory religious practice endorsed by the Purāṇic tradition.