Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
Gaṅgā-māhātmya: Bāhu’s Envy, Defeat, Forest Exile, and Aurva’s Dharmic Consolation
सनक उवाच । शृणुष्व मुनिशार्दूल गंगामाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । यज्जलस्पर्शमात्रेण पावितं सागरं कुलम् । गतं विष्णुपदं विप्र सर्वलोकोत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ २ ॥
sanaka uvāca | śṛṇuṣva muniśārdūla gaṃgāmāhātmyamuttamam | yajjalasparśamātreṇa pāvitaṃ sāgaraṃ kulam | gataṃ viṣṇupadaṃ vipra sarvalokottamottamam || 2 ||
萨那迦说道：“诸仙之虎啊，请聆听恒河至上的功德。仅以其水一触，娑伽罗一族便得净化，并抵达毗湿奴之足（Viṣṇu-pada）——超越一切世界的最胜境界，婆罗门啊。”
Sanaka
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that Gaṅgā is a uniquely purifying tīrtha: even minimal contact with her water can remove grave impurity and lead beings toward Viṣṇu’s abode (mokṣa), illustrated through the purification of Sagara’s lineage.
By linking Gaṅgā’s sanctity directly to “Viṣṇu-pada,” the verse frames tīrtha-sevā (reverent contact with sacred waters) as an act supportive of Viṣṇu-bhakti—purification becomes the ground for devotion culminating in liberation.
It implicitly reflects Kalpa (ritual practice) through tīrtha-related observances—such as śauca (purificatory discipline) and snāna—showing how prescribed ritual purity supports dharma and mokṣa aims.