Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
ते एव श्रवणे धन्ये संविदाते बहुश्रुतम् । इह श्रुतिमतां पुंसां काशी याभ्यां श्रुताऽसकृत् ॥ ३५ ॥
te eva śravaṇe dhanye saṃvidāte bahuśrutam | iha śrutimatāṃ puṃsāṃ kāśī yābhyāṃ śrutā'sakṛt || 35 ||
Berbahagialah kedua-dua telinga yang mendengar; kerana ia menganugerahkan keluasan ilmu. Di dunia ini, bagi insan yang berpegang pada śruti (wahyu suci), Kāśī ialah nama yang didengar berulang-ulang sebagai yang paling dipuji.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates śravaṇa (reverent listening) as a prime spiritual discipline: the ears that listen to sacred discourse become “blessed” because such listening generates bahuśruta—deep, repeated assimilation of dharma and holy lore, especially regarding revered tīrthas like Kāśī.
By praising śravaṇa, it points to a core limb of bhakti: hearing the glories of holy places and divine teachings with faith. Such repeated listening steadies devotion and makes sacred knowledge living and transformative rather than merely intellectual.
The verse highlights the practical discipline of śravaṇa—systematic listening and retention of authoritative teaching (a foundation for śāstra-study and correct transmission). While no single Vedāṅga is named, it supports the broader Vedic learning process that underlies ritual correctness and scriptural comprehension.