Shloka 2

The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges

Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya

Devanagari script

भवंति निर्विषाः सर्पा यथा तार्क्ष्यस्य दशनात् । गंगासंदर्शनात्तद्वत्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

bhavaṃti nirviṣāḥ sarpā yathā tārkṣyasya daśanāt | gaṃgāsaṃdarśanāttadvatsarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate || 2 ||

Translation

Như loài rắn trở nên hết độc do vết cắn của Tārkṣya (Garuḍa), cũng vậy, chỉ cần chiêm ngưỡng sông Hằng (Gaṅgā) là người ấy được giải thoát khỏi mọi tội lỗi.

Word by Word

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• निर्विषाः: non-venomous
• निर्विषाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्विष (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + विष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative 1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• सर्पाः: snakes
• सर्पाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative 1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-प्रदर्शक (comparative particle: 'as/just as')

• तार्क्ष्यस्य: of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)
• तार्क्ष्यस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive 6th), एकवचन (singular)

• दशनात्: from the bite
• दशनात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative 5th), एकवचन (singular)

• गङ्गा-संदर्शनात्: from seeing the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा-संदर्शनात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + संदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative 5th), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः संदर्शनम्)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनार्थक (adverb: 'likewise/in the same way')

• सर्व-पापैः: from all sins
• सर्व-पापैः: Apādāna (अपादान; 'from sins' in sense of separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental 3rd), बहुवचन (plural); कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed/released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); प्र-उपसर्गः; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (passive sense: 'is released')

Speaker

Suta

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Tarkshya (Garuda)

FAQs

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

It declares the Gaṅgā as a supreme tīrtha whose mere darśana (sacred sight) destroys pāpa, emphasizing her purificatory power without requiring elaborate rites.

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

By highlighting darśana as transformative, it aligns with bhakti’s core principle that sincere contact with the sacred (here, the Gaṅgā) grants grace and inner purification.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Kalpa in the form of tīrtha-dharma: the practical rule that darśana of a holy place (tīrtha) itself is a purifying act; no technical Vyākaraṇa/Jyotiṣa detail is foregrounded in this verse.