Shloka 12
Kāśī-māhātmya: Avimukta Gaṅgā and the Pañcanada Tīrtha
अन्यत्र सुधिया भद्रे मोक्षो लभ्येत वा न वा । एकेन जन्मना त्वत्र गंगायां मरणेन च ॥ १२ ॥
anyatra sudhiyā bhadre mokṣo labhyeta vā na vā | ekena janmanā tvatra gaṃgāyāṃ maraṇena ca || 12 ||
اے بھدرے! دوسری جگہوں پر صاحبِ فہم کو بھی نجات ملے یا نہ ملے؛ مگر یہاں ایک ہی جنم میں، اور گنگا میں جان دینے سے، موکش حاصل ہو جاتا ہے۔
Narada (teaching within the Ganga-Mahatmya dialogue; addressing a female listener as 'bhadre')
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It elevates the Gaṅgā as a supreme tīrtha: liberation can be uncertain elsewhere, but death on the Gaṅgā is presented as a direct and powerful cause of mokṣa due to her purifying, grace-bestowing status.
By emphasizing reliance on sacred grace rather than mere personal effort: approaching the Gaṅgā with reverence (a bhakti disposition toward the divine tīrtha) is portrayed as a swift support for liberation, even when outcomes are uncertain in other settings.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught directly; the verse belongs to tīrtha-mahātmya theology, guiding practice toward pilgrimage and end-of-life sacred observances connected with the Gaṅgā.