Shloka 4
Description of the Rules for Charitable Gifts and Related Rites
Gaṅgā-māhātmya
दत्ताः पितृभ्यो यत्रापस्तनयैः श्रद्धयान्वितैः । अक्षयां तु प्रकुर्वंति तृप्तिं मोहिनि दुर्लभाम् ॥ ४ ॥
dattāḥ pitṛbhyo yatrāpastanayaiḥ śraddhayānvitaiḥ | akṣayāṃ tu prakurvaṃti tṛptiṃ mohini durlabhām || 4 ||
Di mana persembahan air (tarpana) diberikan kepada para Pitṛ dengan penuh śraddhā oleh keturunan yang berbakti, di situlah—wahai Mohinī—terhasil kepuasan yang tidak binasa, amat sukar diperoleh.
Suta (narrating the Narada Purana dialogue/travel accounts; verse addresses Mohinī within the narration)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that Pitṛ-tarpaṇa (water-offerings to ancestors) performed with śraddhā yields akṣaya (inexhaustible) tṛpti for the Pitṛs—an enduring spiritual merit emphasized in the tirtha-focused Uttara-Bhaga.
Bhakti here appears as sincere śraddhā and reverent intention: the verse implies that inner devotion sanctifies ritual action, making the result “akṣaya,” not merely a mechanical offering.
It highlights kalpa/ritual procedure in practice—specifically tarpaṇa and śrāddha principles: offering water to Pitṛs with correct intent and faith is presented as the key determinant of lasting efficacy.