Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā

Gaṅgāmāhātmya

Devanagari script

यथा सर्वगतो विष्णुर्जगव्द्याप्य प्रतिष्टितः । तथेयं व्यापिनी गङ्गा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी ॥ ३२ ॥

Transliteration

yathā sarvagato viṣṇurjagavdyāpya pratiṣṭitaḥ | tatheyaṃ vyāpinī gaṅgā sarvapāpapraṇāśinī || 32 ||

Translation

ଯେପରି ସର୍ବଗତ ବିଷ୍ଣୁ ସମଗ୍ର ଜଗତକୁ ବ୍ୟାପି ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ, ସେପରି ଏହି ଗଙ୍ଗା ମଧ୍ୟ ସର୍ବତ୍ର ବ୍ୟାପି ସମସ୍ତ ପାପକୁ ନାଶ କରେ।

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक (correlative adverb: ‘as/just as’)

• सर्वगतः: all-pervading
• सर्वगतः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वत्र गतः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त, अव्ययभाव (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त gerund), ‘having pervaded’

• प्रतिष्ठितः: is established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्थितः = ‘established’

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तदनुरूपार्थ (correlative: ‘so/in the same way’)

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यापिनी: pervading
• व्यापिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नित्य-विशेषण (pervading)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रणाशिनी)

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada in dialogue form)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

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

It equates Gaṅgā’s purifying presence with Viṣṇu’s all-pervasiveness, presenting the river as a universally accessible means of pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sin) rooted in divine sanctity.

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

By linking Gaṅgā directly to Viṣṇu’s cosmic presence, it encourages devotional reverence to the tīrtha as an extension of Viṣṇu-bhakti—approaching Gaṅgā with faith becomes a devotional act aligned with purification and surrender.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga technicality is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is tīrtha-dharma—purificatory practice (snāna, ācamana, japa) undertaken with proper intention and scriptural reverence.