The countries and the points of the compass which are destitute of the sacred waters of Ganga are like nights without the moon or trees without flowers. Indeed a world without Ganga is like the different castes and modes of life when they are shorn of virtue or like sacrifices without Soma.
विसोमा इव शर्वर्यो विपुष्पास्तरवो यथा। तद्वद् देशा दिशश्चैव हीना गङ्गाजलैः शिवैः॥ वर्णाश्रमा यथा सर्वे धर्मज्ञानविवर्जिताः। क्रतवश्च यथासोमास्तथा गङ्गां विना जगत्॥