Shloka 117
Prayaga-mahatmya
Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni
शुक्लां वरधरं शांतं धर्मज्ञं वेदपारगम् । सा च गौस्तस्य दातव्या गंगायमुनसंगमे ॥ ११७ ॥
śuklāṃ varadharaṃ śāṃtaṃ dharmajñaṃ vedapāragam | sā ca gaustasya dātavyā gaṃgāyamunasaṃgame || 117 ||
Na confluência do Gaṅgā e do Yamunā, deve-se doar uma vaca branca a um brāhmaṇa sereno, de excelentes vestes, firme na paz, conhecedor do dharma e versado nos Vedas.
Sage Narada (teaching in the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that charity (dāna) becomes especially meritorious when performed at a major tīrtha—here, the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence—and when given to a genuinely qualified, Veda-versed and dharma-knowing recipient.
While the act described is dāna, it supports bhakti by cultivating purity, humility, and service to dharma through sacred-place observance (tīrtha-sevā) and honoring Vedic custodians—actions traditionally aligned with devotion and spiritual discipline.
The verse emphasizes dharma-śāstra discernment in selecting a proper dāna-pātra (worthy recipient) and the ritual principle of deśa-kāla (place/time) efficacy—core practical guidance used in Vedic rites and tīrtha-based observances.