Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 62
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
गायत्री जाह्नवी चोभे सर्वपापहरे स्मृते । एतयोर्भक्तिहीनो यस्तं विद्यात्पतितं द्विज ॥ ६२ ॥
gāyatrī jāhnavī cobhe sarvapāpahare smṛte | etayorbhaktihīno yastaṃ vidyātpatitaṃ dvija || 62 ||
गायत्री जाह्नवी चोभे सर्वपापहरे स्मृते। एतयोर्भक्तिहीनो यस्तं विद्यात्पतितं द्विज॥
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
It elevates two purifiers—Gāyatrī (mantra-shakti) and Jāhnavī/Gaṅgā (tīrtha-shakti)—as foundational supports of dharma, teaching that purification is not merely mechanical but must be joined with devotion (bhakti).
The verse makes devotion the deciding factor: even though Gāyatrī and Gaṅgā remove sins, one who approaches them without bhakti is called “patita,” implying that inner reverence and faithful engagement are essential for spiritual uplift.
It implicitly points to mantra-prayoga and daily discipline: Gāyatrī relates to Vedic recitation practice (śikṣā—proper chanting) and regulated japa, while Gaṅgā relates to tīrtha-snāna and śauca (ritual purity) as applied dharma.