Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 164
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
यस्यास्थि भस्म वा राजन् गङ्गायां क्षिप्यते नरैः । स सर्वपापनिर्मुक्तः प्रयाति भवनं हरेः ॥ १६४ ॥
yasyāsthi bhasma vā rājan gaṅgāyāṃ kṣipyate naraiḥ | sa sarvapāpanirmuktaḥ prayāti bhavanaṃ hareḥ || 164 ||
ข้าแต่พระราชา ผู้ใดที่อัฐิหรือเถ้าถ่านถูกผู้คนโปรยลงในแม่น้ำคงคา ผู้นั้นย่อมพ้นบาปทั้งปวง และไปสู่พระนิเวศของพระหริ
Sanatkumara (addressing Narada as 'O King' per the verse’s vocative style within the didactic dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It states the tīrtha-phala of the Gaṅgā: immersing a person’s bones or ashes in the Gaṅgā is said to remove all pāpa and lead the departed toward Hari’s divine abode.
By naming Hari as the final destination, the verse frames the rite’s highest fruit as reaching Vishnu; the ritual act becomes meaningful when oriented toward Hari and liberation rather than mere social custom.
Ritual application (Kalpa/Smārta practice) is implied—specifically antyeṣṭi-related observances such as asthi/bhasma-visarjana in a tīrtha—though the verse itself focuses on the promised phala rather than technical procedure.