Shloka 19

Prayaga-mahatmya

Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni

Devanagari script

गंगायां स्नानमात्रेण प्रयागे तत्प्रकीर्तितम् । गंगां ये चावगाहंति माघे मासि सुलोचने ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

gaṃgāyāṃ snānamātreṇa prayāge tatprakīrtitam | gaṃgāṃ ye cāvagāhaṃti māghe māsi sulocane || 19 ||

Translation

Chỉ cần tắm trong sông Gaṅgā thôi cũng đạt được công đức đã được tuyên dương cho Prayāga. Và những ai dìm mình trong Gaṅgā vào tháng Māgha, hỡi người mắt đẹp, sẽ được quả phúc cao quý ấy.

Word by Word

• gaṃgāyām: in the Ganga
• gaṃgāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative (अधिकरण)

• snānamātreṇa: by mere bathing
• snānamātreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna-mātra (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + मात्र)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana; instrumental of means (करण); तत्पुरुषसमासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः: ‘mere bathing’)

• prayāge: at Prayaga
• prayāge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative (अधिकरण)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; used as demonstrative

• prakīrtitam: is proclaimed/declared
• prakīrtitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kīrt (कीर्त्) (धातु)
• Form: Kta (क्त) past passive participle used predicatively; Napumsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; sense: ‘has been proclaimed’

• gaṃgām: the Ganga
• gaṃgām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; object (कर्म)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samucchaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• avagāhaṃti: bathe/immerse (themselves)
• avagāhaṃti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√gāh (गाह्) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• māghe: in (the month of) Magha
• māghe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative of time (काल-अधिकरण)

• māsi: in the month
• māsi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative of time

• sulocane: O fair-eyed one
• sulocane: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-locanā (प्रातिपदिक; सु + लोचना)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi epithet used as vocative

Speaker

Narada (teaching within the Uttara-Bhaga tirtha-mahatmya dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Māgha-snāna (Māgha month bathing observance)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Prayaga
• Magha (month)

FAQs

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

It elevates Gaṅgā-snāna (bathing in the Ganga) as a direct purifier and declares that its merit can equal the famed Prayāga-tīrtha fruit, especially when performed in the auspicious Māgha month.

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

By honoring a Viṣṇu-associated tīrtha practice (Gaṅgā-snāna) as spiritually potent, it supports bhakti through embodied devotion—approaching sacred places with faith and reverence as a means of inner purification.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa/ritual timing is implied through the emphasis on Māgha-māsa as an auspicious period for snāna-vrata, reflecting traditional dharma practice based on sacred calendrical observances.