Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
तीर्थानामुत्तमं तीर्थं क्षेत्राणां क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । वाराणसीति विख्यातं सर्वदेवनिषेवितम् ॥ ३४ ॥
tīrthānāmuttamaṃ tīrthaṃ kṣetrāṇāṃ kṣetramuttamam | vārāṇasīti vikhyātaṃ sarvadevaniṣevitam || 34 ||
Di antara segala tīrtha, inilah tīrtha yang paling utama; di antara segala kṣetra, inilah kṣetra yang paling utama. Ia masyhur sebagai Vārāṇasī, tempat yang diziarahi dan dihormati oleh semua dewa.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It elevates Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) as the foremost tīrtha and kṣetra, implying that pilgrimage there is exceptionally potent for dharma and spiritual purification because it is honored even by the devas.
By praising a divinely frequented kṣetra, the verse supports bhakti through sacred geography: devotion expressed via tīrtha-sevā, temple worship, and remembrance in a place sanctified by constant divine presence.
It primarily reflects Kalpa in practice—guidance on dharmic observance through tīrtha-yātrā and kṣetra-vāsa (pilgrimage and holy residence), rather than technical grammar or astrology.