Shloka 24
The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges
Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya
गंगा तारयते पुंसां प्रसंगेनापि कीर्तिता । अश्रद्धयापि गंगाया यत्तु नामानुकीर्तनम् ॥ २४ ॥
gaṃgā tārayate puṃsāṃ prasaṃgenāpi kīrtitā | aśraddhayāpi gaṃgāyā yattu nāmānukīrtanam || 24 ||
ഗംഗയെ പ്രസംഗവശാൽ പോലും കീർത്തിച്ചാൽ അവൾ മനുഷ്യരെ തരിക്കുന്നു. ശ്രദ്ധയില്ലാതിരുന്നാലും ഗംഗാനാമം ആവർത്തിച്ച് ഉച്ചരിക്കുന്നതുതന്നെ രക്ഷാകരമാകുന്നു.
Suta (narrator) describing the Ganga-mahatmya teaching within Uttara-Bhaga
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"adbhuta","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"Wonder at the river’s salvific power intensifies: even incidental mention and faithless repetition becomes deliverance."}
FAQs
It declares the extraordinary tirtha-śakti of Ganga: even casual mention or simple repetition of her name generates purifying merit and becomes a means of deliverance from saṁsāra.
It emphasizes nāma—devotional remembrance through the holy name. The verse suggests that divine grace operates even when devotion is imperfect, highlighting the accessibility of bhakti through kīrtana/smaraṇa.
Primarily Vyākaraṇa/śabda-prayoga in a devotional sense: the act of correct verbal utterance (nāma-kīrtana) is treated as spiritually efficacious; it also supports tīrtha-vidhi (pilgrimage practice) by valuing recitation alongside physical rites like snāna.