Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 60
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
नास्ति शान्तिसमो बन्धुर्नास्ति सत्यात्परं तपः । नास्ति मोक्षात्परो लाभो नास्ति गङ्गासमा नदी ॥ ६० ॥
nāsti śāntisamo bandhurnāsti satyātparaṃ tapaḥ | nāsti mokṣātparo lābho nāsti gaṅgāsamā nadī || 60 ||
శాంతితో సమానమైన మిత్రుడు లేడు; సత్యం కన్నా గొప్ప తపస్సు లేదు. మోక్షం కన్నా అధిక లాభం లేదు; గంగతో సమానమైన నది లేదు।
Narada (teaching in a didactic context; traditional dialogue framework with Sanatkumara lineage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It ranks core spiritual values: peace as one’s truest ally, truth as the highest discipline, liberation as the supreme attainment, and Gaṅgā as the foremost sacred river—linking inner virtue with sacred geography.
By praising shānti and satya, it points to the devotional temperament: a calm, truthful life that purifies the heart and supports steady remembrance and worship, culminating in mokṣa—the ultimate fruit sought by mature bhakti.
No specific Vedanga technique is taught; the verse functions as dharma-upadeśa (ethical instruction), emphasizing satya as lived tapas and recognizing Gaṅgā as a tirtha central to purificatory practice.