Shloka 10

Kāśī-māhātmya: Avimukta Gaṅgā and the Pañcanada Tīrtha

Devanagari script

उत्तराभिमुखीं गंगां काश्यामायांति चान्वहम् । महापातकदोषादिदुष्टानां स्पर्शनोद्भवम् ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

uttarābhimukhīṃ gaṃgāṃ kāśyāmāyāṃti cānvaham | mahāpātakadoṣādiduṣṭānāṃ sparśanodbhavam || 10 ||

Translation

کاشی میں لوگ روز بروز اُتر کی سمت بہنے والی گنگا کے پاس آتے ہیں؛ بڑے گناہوں اور دیگر عیوب سے آلودہ لوگوں کے لیے اُس کے محض لمس سے ہی پاکیزگی پیدا ہو جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• उत्तराभिमुखीम्: north-facing / flowing northward
• उत्तराभिमुखीम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर-अभिमुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गङ्गाम्)

• गंगाम्: Ganga
• गंगाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kashi
• काश्याम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• आयान्ति: come
• आयान्ति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: आ-

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अन्वहम्: daily
• अन्वहम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb of time: day by day/daily)

• महापातकदोषादिदुष्टानाम्: of the wicked (people) with great sins, faults, etc.
• महापातकदोषादिदुष्टानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक-दोष-आदि-दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (दुष्ट-शब्द), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); 'आदि' = etc.

• स्पर्शनोद्भवम्: arising from contact (touch-born effect)
• स्पर्शनोद्भवम्: विशेष्य/विधेय (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.) एकवचन; here as predicate-noun (result arising from touch)

Speaker

Suta (narrating Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue contextually)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Kashi

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares Kāśī’s Gaṅgā—especially as northward-flowing—as a supreme tīrtha whose mere touch generates purification even for those burdened with mahāpātakas and other doṣas.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While focused on tīrtha-māhātmya, it supports bhakti by directing devotees to daily approach Gaṅgā in Kāśī with faith (śraddhā), treating contact with the sacred river as a devotional act that removes obstacles to God-centered life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It primarily reflects Dharma-śāstra/prāyaścitta practice (ritual purification through tīrtha-sparśa and snāna); no specific technical Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is explicitly taught in this verse.