Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 26


Sanskrit:

तस्याद्य ते दद‍ृशिमाङ्‍‍घ्रिमघौघमर्ष-तीर्थास्पदं हृदि कृतं सुविपक्व‍योगै: ।उत्सिक्तभक्त्युपहताशयजीवकोशाआपुर्भवद्गतिमथानुगृहाण भक्तान् ॥ २६ ॥

ITRANS:

tasyādya te dadṛśimāṅghrim aghaugha-marṣa-tīrthāspadaṁ hṛdi kṛtaṁ su-vipakva-yogaiḥutsikta-bhakty-upahatāśaya jīva-kośāāpur bhavad-gatim athānugṛhāna bhaktān

Translation:

Today we have directly seen Your feet, the source of the holy Ganges, which washes away volumes of sins. Perfected yogīs can at best meditate upon Your feet within their hearts. But only those who render You wholehearted devotional service and in this way vanquish the soul’s covering — the material mind — attain You as their final destination. Therefore kindly show mercy to us, Your devotees.

Purport:

The holy river Ganges has the power to destroy all sorts of sinful reactions because she originates at the Lord’s lotus feet and thus contains the dust of His feet. Explaining this verse, Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī says, “If the Lord might advise the sages that they need not concern themselves with devotional practices because they are already far advanced in spiritual knowledge and austerity, they hereby respectfully decline such a suggestion, pointing out that only those yogīs who have destroyed their material mind and ego by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa in pure devotional service can attain full perfection. They conclude by praying to the Lord that He favor them in the most merciful way by making them His devotees.”