Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
यो गङ्गां भजते नित्यं शंकरो लोकशंकरः । लिङ्गरूपीं कथं तस्या महिमा परिकीर्त्यते ॥ ४३ ॥
yo gaṅgāṃ bhajate nityaṃ śaṃkaro lokaśaṃkaraḥ | liṅgarūpīṃ kathaṃ tasyā mahimā parikīrtyate || 43 ||
Maging si Śaṅkara—ang tagapagpala ng mga daigdig—ay araw-araw na sumasamba sa Gaṅgā. Yamang siya’y naroroon sa anyo mismo ng Liṅga, paano mailalarawan nang lubos ang kanyang kadakilaan?
Narada (in dialogue with Sanatkumara tradition; verse praising Gaṅgā’s mahimā)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It elevates Gaṅgā as supremely venerable: even Śiva (Śaṅkara), the world’s benefactor, worships her daily—implying her glory is beyond complete verbal description.
It presents bhakti as regular, daily reverence (nityam bhajate) and teaches that honoring a divine tirtha like Gaṅgā is itself a potent devotional practice, endorsed by the highest deity (Śiva).
The verse primarily emphasizes nitya-upāsanā (daily worship discipline) and tirtha-mahimā rather than a specific Vedāṅga; it supports ritual regularity (ācāra) as a practical takeaway for Narada Purana rituals.