Shloka 21
The Greatness of the Gaṇḍakī River and the Śālagrāma Stone
अपि पापसहस्राणां कर्ता तावन्नरो भवेत् । शालग्रामशिलातोयं पीत्वा पूतो भवेत्क्षणात्
api pāpasahasrāṇāṃ kartā tāvannaro bhavet | śālagrāmaśilātoyaṃ pītvā pūto bhavetkṣaṇāt
Ainda que um homem tenha cometido milhares de pecados, ao beber a água que banhou a pedra Śālagrāma, ele se purifica num instante.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Pātāla-khaṇḍa; traditional frame often involves Pulastya instructing Bhīṣma)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तावन्नरो = तावत् + नरः. भवेत्क्षणात् = भवेत् + क्षणात्. शालग्रामशिलातोयं = शालग्राम-शिला-तोयम्.
FAQs
It refers to the water used to bathe (abhiṣeka) the Śālagrāma-śilā, a revered Vaiṣṇava sacred stone identified with Viṣṇu; the verse praises that water as purifying.
Yes—the verse uses emphatic language (“even if” thousands of sins; “in an instant”) to extol the purificatory potency attributed to Śālagrāma-related worship materials.
The teaching highlights the Padma Purāṇa’s Vaiṣṇava devotional orientation: sincere connection to Viṣṇu through sacred symbols (like Śālagrāma) and their ritual context is presented as a powerful means of inner purification.