The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā
तद्भक्तस्तत्परश्च स्यान्मृतो वापि न संशयः । भक्त्या तज्जलसंस्पर्शी तज्जलं पिबते च यः ॥ ५१ ॥
tadbhaktastatparaśca syānmṛto vāpi na saṃśayaḥ | bhaktyā tajjalasaṃsparśī tajjalaṃ pibate ca yaḥ || 51 ||
അവൻ ജീവിച്ചിരിക്കുകയായാലും ദേഹത്യാഗം ചെയ്തിരിക്കുകയായാലും—സംശയമില്ല; അവൻ ഭഗവാന്റെ ഭക്തനും അവനിലേ പരായണനും ആകുന്നു. ഭക്തിയോടെ ആ പുണ്യജലം സ്പർശിച്ച് അതേ ജലം പാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ.
Suta
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It teaches that the power of a tirtha is fulfilled through bhakti: touching and drinking the sacred water with devotion makes one firmly oriented to the Lord and counted among His devotees, with assured spiritual merit.
The verse makes devotion the decisive factor—external acts (contact and drinking) become spiritually transformative only when performed bhaktyā, turning the mind toward the Lord (tat-para) and establishing one as His bhakta.
Ritual practice (tirtha-snana and ācamana/pāna of sacred water) is emphasized, showing how correct sacred observance is meant to be joined with inner devotion rather than treated as mere technique.