Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā
Gaṅgāmāhātmya
बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन वाराणस्या गुणान्प्रति । नामापि गृह्णातां काश्याश्चतुर्वर्गो न दूरतः ॥ ४० ॥
bahunātra kimuktena vārāṇasyā guṇānprati | nāmāpi gṛhṇātāṃ kāśyāścaturvargo na dūrataḥ || 40 ||
Còn cần nói nhiều làm gì về các đức hạnh của Vārāṇasī? Chỉ cần xưng niệm danh Kāśī thôi, bốn mục tiêu của đời người cũng chẳng còn xa.
Narada (teaching in the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It proclaims the exceptional sanctity of Kāśī/Varanasi: even mere remembrance or utterance of its name is said to quickly confer the full spectrum of human goals, culminating in mokṣa.
By emphasizing nāma-grahaṇa (taking the name), it aligns with bhakti’s core method—remembrance and reverent utterance—showing that sincere invocation of a sacred name/place draws divine grace and spiritual fulfillment.
The verse implicitly highlights the power of mantra-like recitation and correct verbal remembrance (linked to Śikṣā and Vyākaraṇa as disciplines of sound and words), stressing that even “nāma” (name) has spiritual efficacy.