Shloka 27

The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges

Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya

Devanagari script

गंगातोयं नरः स्पृष्ट्वा मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः । कदा द्रक्ष्यामि तां गंगां कदा स्नानं लभे ह्यहम् ॥ २७ ॥

Transliteration

gaṃgātoyaṃ naraḥ spṛṣṭvā mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ | kadā drakṣyāmi tāṃ gaṃgāṃ kadā snānaṃ labhe hyaham || 27 ||

Translation

गंगेच्या जलाचा केवळ स्पर्श केला तरी मनुष्य सर्व पापांतून मुक्त होतो. मी कधी त्या गंगेचे दर्शन घेईन आणि कधी खरेच तिच्या स्नानाचे भाग्य मला लाभेल?

Word by Word

• गङ्गा-तोयम्: the water of the Ganga
• गङ्गा-तोयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case; form identical), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः तोयम् = water of Gaṅgā)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/नominative), एकवचन

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having touched)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्व-पातकैः: from all sins
• सर्व-पातकैः: Apādāna/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु; from/owing to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पातकानि = all sins)

• कदा: when?
• कदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• द्रक्ष्यामि: shall I see
• द्रक्ष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• ताम्: her/that (f.)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गङ्गाम्: the Ganga
• गङ्गाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• कदा: when?
• कदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• लभे: do I obtain
• लभे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (expressing longing within the Ganga-tirtha context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"bhakti","secondary_rasa":"karuna","emotional_journey":"Begins with confident faith in Gaṅgā’s purifying power, then turns into yearning longing to see and bathe in her."}

Characters & Entities

• Ganga

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It teaches the tirtha-prabhava (power of a sacred ford): even contact with Gaṅgā-water is portrayed as purifying, and it elevates the longing to see and bathe in the Gaṅgā as a spiritually transformative aspiration.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti appears as yearning (viraha-like longing) for a holy presence—here, Gaṅgā as a sacred embodiment—showing that sincere desire to approach the divine/sacred is itself a devotional movement toward purification.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual practice is implied: snāna (sacred bathing) and sparśa (touch-contact) as purificatory acts within tirtha-vidhi; it aligns with dharma-śāstra style guidance on when and how pilgrimage and bathing generate puṇya.