Shloka 55
The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā
रथाश्वगजदानैश्च यत्पुण्यं परिकीर्तितम् । ततः शतगुणं पुण्यं गंगांभश्चुलुकाशनात् ॥ ५६ ॥
rathāśvagajadānaiśca yatpuṇyaṃ parikīrtitam | tataḥ śataguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ gaṃgāṃbhaśculukāśanāt || 56 ||
रथाश्वगजदानैः यत्पुण्यं शास्त्रे परिकीर्तितं, तस्मात् शतगुणं पुण्यं गङ्गाम्भः चुलुकमात्राशनात्।
Narada (teaching in the context of Tirtha-mahatmya; traditional dialogue framework with Sanatkumara lineage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates tirtha-sevana by teaching that even a small act connected to the Ganga—sipping a palmful of her water—yields extraordinary puṇya, surpassing major forms of material charity.
By praising Ganga as supremely purifying, it encourages reverent approach to sacred tirthas and faith-filled practice; such śraddhā-centered acts support bhakti by orienting the mind toward the divine and sanctity.
Ritual-practice guidance is implied: the verse foregrounds tīrtha-related ācamana/sipping as a meritorious act, emphasizing procedural purity and the dharmic valuation of specific sacred substances.