गङ्गा तु सरितां श्रेष्ठा तथा चैव सरस्वती । कावेरी देविका चैव सिन्धुः सालकुटी तथा
gaṅgā tu saritāṃ śreṣṭhā tathā caiva sarasvatī | kāverī devikā caiva sindhuḥ sālakuṭī tathā
Antara segala sungai, Gaṅgā adalah yang paling utama; demikian juga Sarasvatī, Kāverī, Devikā, Sindhu dan Sālakuṭī adalah sungai-sungai suci.
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Gaṅgā and allied mahānadīs
Type: kshetra
Scene: A serene, map-like vision of India as a garland of rivers: Gaṅgā enthroned as queen of streams, with Sarasvatī, Kāverī, Devikā, Sindhu, and Sālakuṭī personified as river goddesses offering water-pots and lotuses.
Purāṇic dharma honors multiple sacred river-tīrthas, establishing a sacred geography of purification.
Major river-tīrthas are named—especially Gaṅgā—within a broader setup for Revā/Narmadā’s unique greatness.
No explicit ritual is stated; the implication is the sanctity of river association—snāna, pilgrimage, and reverence.