Shloka 25
The Greatness of Bathing in the Ganges
Gaṅgā-snānā-mahātmya
करोति पुण्यवाहिन्याः सोऽपि स्वर्गस्य भाजनम् । सर्वावस्थां गतो वापि सर्वधर्मविवर्जितः ॥ २५ ॥
karoti puṇyavāhinyāḥ so'pi svargasya bhājanam | sarvāvasthāṃ gato vāpi sarvadharmavivarjitaḥ || 25 ||
Dẫu là kẻ lìa bỏ mọi dharma—dù rơi vào bất cứ cảnh ngộ nào—nếu thực hành việc phụng sự, cúng kính đối với dòng sông thánh mang công đức, người ấy cũng trở thành kẻ thọ hưởng cõi trời.
Suta (narrating Narada Purana discourse; Uttara-Bhaga Tirtha-Mahatmya passage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It emphasizes the extraordinary purificatory power of a sacred tirtha/holy river: even a person who has lapsed from righteous conduct can gain heavenly merit through sincere performance of the prescribed river-related act (such as bathing, worship, or service).
By highlighting that grace and spiritual uplift are accessible through humble, faith-filled action connected to a sacred locus (tirtha); devotion expressed as service/worship at the holy river can override one’s fallen condition and generate transformative merit.
Primarily Kalpa (ritual procedure): it implies that specific tirtha-related rites—such as snāna (sacred bath), tarpaṇa, and pūjā—carry defined results (phala), a hallmark of dharma-śāstric ritual reasoning.