Shloka 42
The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā
वाराणस्यां विशेषण गंगा सद्यस्तु मोक्षदा । प्रतिमासं चतुर्दश्यामष्टम्यां चैव सर्वदा ॥ ४३ ॥
vārāṇasyāṃ viśeṣaṇa gaṃgā sadyastu mokṣadā | pratimāsaṃ caturdaśyāmaṣṭamyāṃ caiva sarvadā || 43 ||
Ó distinto, em Vārāṇasī a Gaṅgā é, de fato, doadora imediata de libertação; sempre assim, e especialmente a cada mês no décimo quarto dia lunar e no oitavo.
Narada (teaching in a dialogue context associated with the Sanatkumara tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It declares Kashi’s Ganga as a direct means to moksha, emphasizing that contact with the Ganga in Varanasi has exceptional liberating potency, with special monthly sanctity on Ashtami and Chaturdashi.
By highlighting reverence for a Vishnu-associated tirtha (the Ganga in Kashi), it frames liberation as accessible through faithful sacred practice—pilgrimage, purity, and devotional observance on holy tithis.
It relies on calendrical discipline through tithi-observance (Ashtami and Chaturdashi), aligning ritual timing with dharma—an applied aspect of Jyotisha (Vedanga astrology/astronomy) used in Narada Purana rituals.