See the two devotees Srutadeva and Bahulasva are both wonderful devotees. One is in opulence and the other is not. So, here the Lord is telling that by taking bath in the Holy River touching Holy places, deities. They do purify but the purification is gradual but with the association of devotees the purification is rapid.

We in India are very fortunate somehow because in Bharata Varsha there are so many holy rivers to visit, so many holy places to visit more than billions and billions of holy places in India. Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri. It's said that even the demigods are aspiring to take birth in the land of Bharata Varsha. Why? Because in Bharata Varsha you can be awarded Liberation or you can be awarded svarga or you can be awarded Vaikuntha. Bharata Varsha is like a junction. You can go wherever you want. You can go to hell also. Hare Krsna.

You know there is a nice story when I was in Gangotri. We share about the mahima of Ganga. This is a story of Shatadhanva and Vijaya. They were hunters and because of their sinful lives, they had to become frogs. Once they were hunting and a lion was chasing a deer and in order to escape that deer came into their protection. And because they were hunters they slew the deer. So the shastras say that, if someone comes under your protection then you should protect them. Because they are putting their trust in you, it's your duty to protect them. And because they didn't do that they had to go to hell . Before becoming frogs they had to go to hell. They had to spend a very long time in the hell before they took birth as frogs. So this Satadhanva and Vijaya in their next life became frogs. Somehow they heard the glories of the Ganges and decided to go and take a bath. On the way they were eaten by a snake. Just by simply making Sankalpa of going to Ganges, they attain Vaikuntha. They didn't even take a bath. Can you imagine?
So, such is the glory of the Ganges.