Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 6
गङ्गामाहात्म्यं
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
दर्शनात् स्पर्शनात् पानात्तथा गङ्गेतिकीर्तनात् पुनाति पुण्यपुरुषान् शतशीथ सहस्रशः
darśanāt sparśanāt pānāttathā gaṅgetikīrtanāt punāti puṇyapuruṣān śataśītha sahasraśaḥ
ด้วยการได้เห็นคงคา ด้วยการสัมผัส ด้วยการดื่มน้ำ และด้วยการสวดสรรเสริญเอ่ยนามว่า “คงคา” นางย่อมชำระผู้มีบุญให้บริสุทธิ์—นับร้อยนับพัน—ครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"A fourfold accessible practice—seeing, touching, drinking, and praising Gaṅgā—presented as a repeatable purification regimen for individuals and communities.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Four means of Gaṅgā-purification: darśana, sparśana, pāna, kīrtana","lookup_keywords":["darśana","sparśana","pāna","kīrtana","Gaṅgā-pavana"],"quick_summary":"The verse enumerates four simple engagements with Gaṅgā that purify repeatedly and at scale, emphasizing both physical contact and devotional speech."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa/parallelism via repeated instrumental forms; enumeration (saṅkhyāna)
Concept: Multi-modal sādhanā: body (sparśa/pāna), mind (darśana), and speech (kīrtana) converge to purify.
Application: Adopt a simple practice set during pilgrimage or daily remembrance: visit/visualize Gaṅgā (darśana), touch water (sparśa), sip ritually (pāna), and recite Gaṅgā-stotra (kīrtana).
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: River/Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sequence of devotees: one beholds the river, one touches the water, one drinks from cupped hands, and a group sings Gaṅgā’s praises; the river radiates purity outward to many people.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: four-panel frieze—darśana, sparśana, pāna, kīrtana—set along a stylized Gaṅgā; rhythmic composition, bold outlines, traditional palette; chorus of singers with cymbals in final panel.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Gaṅgā Devī with gold halo; around her four vignettes of the practices; gold foil on water highlights and ornaments; devotional symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic layout with labeled actions; refined faces and soft colors; emphasis on clarity of gestures (seeing, touching, sipping, singing).","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: lively ghat with multiple small groups performing the four acts; musicians singing kīrtana; detailed textiles and architecture; shimmering river rendered with fine brushwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: पानात्तथा→पानात् + तथा; गङ्गेतिकीर्तनात् (corrupt) normalized to गङ्गायाः + कीर्तनात्; शतशीथ (corrupt) normalized to शतशः.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa: Gaṅgā-māhātmya verses enumerating tīrtha-phala; stotra-related sections elsewhere in the text
FAQs
It prescribes four practical modes of tirtha-based purification—darśana (seeing), sparśana (touching), pāna (drinking), and nāma/guṇa-kīrtana (recitation of Gaṅgā’s name/praise)—as efficacious religious acts.
It exemplifies the Purana’s tirtha-mahātmya material, cataloging pilgrimage practices and their karmic results alongside other domains (ritual, law, polity, medicine, arts), thereby functioning as a compendium of applied Dharma.
The verse teaches that contact with the Gaṅgā—physically or through devotional recitation—removes impurity and generates merit, extending purification broadly to many devotees (symbolically “hundreds and thousands”).