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Shloka 16

The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges

Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya

भेदं सहस्रधा याति गिरिर्वज्रहतो यथा । गच्छंस्तिष्ठन्स्वपन्ध्यायञ्जाग्रद्भुंजन् हसन् रुदन् ॥ १६ ॥

bhedaṃ sahasradhā yāti girirvajrahato yathā | gacchaṃstiṣṭhansvapandhyāyañjāgradbhuṃjan hasan rudan || 16 ||

വജ്രാഘാതം കൊണ്ടു പർവ്വതം ആയിരം ഖണ്ഡങ്ങളായി തകരുന്നതുപോലെ, (ജീവനും) ആയിരംവിധമായി പിളർന്ന് ചിതറുന്നു—നടക്കുമ്പോൾ, നിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഉറങ്ങുമ്പോൾ, ധ്യാനിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ജാഗരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഭക്ഷിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ചിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ, കരയുമ്പോൾ.

भेदम्splitting/cleaving
भेदम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन
सहस्रधाa thousandfold
सहस्रधा:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसहस्रधा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in a thousand ways)
यातिgoes/comes to
याति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
गिरिःa mountain
गिरिः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/nominative), एकवचन
वज्र-हतःstruck by a thunderbolt
वज्र-हतः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootवज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हत (हन्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: वज्रेण हतः (struck by a thunderbolt)
यथाjust as
यथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमानवाचक (as/just as)
गच्छन्going
गच्छन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘going’
तिष्ठन्standing
तिष्ठन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootस्था (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing’
स्वपन्sleeping
स्वपन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootस्वप् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘sleeping’
ध्यायन्meditating
ध्यायन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootध्यै (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘meditating/thinking’
जाग्रत्being awake
जाग्रत्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootजागृ (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ/शानच्-प्राय (present participle) ‘जाग्रत्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘awake’
भुञ्जन्eating/enjoying
भुञ्जन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘eating/enjoying’
हसन्laughing
हसन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootहस् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘laughing’
रुदन्crying
रुदन्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootरुद् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘crying’

Suta (narrating the Purana in discourse form; teaching conveyed as a general doctrinal statement)

Vrata: none

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"bhayanaka","emotional_journey":"A sudden, forceful simile (thunderbolt shattering a mountain) evokes shock and dread, then expands into an all-pervading effect across every ordinary human activity."}

FAQs

It portrays the inner condition of fragmentation—consciousness breaking into many directions across ordinary actions—implying the need for steadiness (ekāgratā) and integration through dharma and higher remembrance.

By highlighting how the mind scatters in every state (waking, eating, laughing, crying), it indirectly points to bhakti—steady remembrance of the Lord—as the unifying practice that gathers the mind back to one refuge.

No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is yogic-ethical discipline—observing the mind across activities and cultivating one-pointedness through japa, dhyāna, and vrata-based regulation.