लोमश उवाच स तु राजा महेष्वासश्चक्रवर्ती महारथः। बभूव सर्वलोकस्य मनोनयननन्दनः॥
Lomasha said : That great bow-man and car-warrior, that imperial king became the delight of the eyes and the mind of all men.
स शुश्राव महाबाहुः कपिलेन महात्मना। पितृणां निधनं घोरमप्राप्तिं त्रिदिवस्य च॥ स राज्यं सचिवे न्यस्य हृदयेन विदूयता। जगाम हिमवत्पाद्यं तपस्तप्तुं नरेश्वरः॥
That might-armed hero heard from the highsouled Kapila how his anccstors had met with their fearful destruction and how they had not been able to go to heaven. That king sorrowfully made over his kingly duties to his ministers and that ruler of men then went to the side of the Himalayas for practising asceticism.
आरिराधयिषुर्गङ्गां तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषः। सोऽपश्यत नरश्रेष्ठ हिमवन्तं नगोत्तमम्॥ शृङ्गैर्बहुविधाकारैर्धातुमद्भिरलंकृतम्। पवनालम्बिभिर्मेधैः परिषिक्तं समन्ततः॥
O foremost of men, being cleansed of his sins by asceticism, he visited that best of mountains Himalayas in order to worship Ganga. (He saw it) adorned with peaks of various forms and with many mineral wealth; all its sides were besprinkled with drops of rain from the clouds which were floating on the wind.
नदीकुञ्जनितम्बैश्च प्रासादैरुपशोभितम्। गुहाकन्दरसंलीनसिंहव्याघ्रनिषेवितम्॥
Beautified with rivers, groves and rocky spurs as so many places in a city), frequented by lions and tigers, hidden in its caves and caverns.
शकुनैश्च विचित्राङ्गैः कूजद्भिर्विविधा गिरः। भृङ्गराजैस्तथा हंसैर्दात्यूहैर्जलकुक्कुटैः॥ मयूरैः शतपत्रैश्च जीवंजीवककोकिलैः। चकोरैरसितापाङ्गैस्तथा पुत्रप्रियैरपि।॥
Abounding in various featured birds uttering various sounds-such as Bhringaraja, ganders, Dalyuchas, water-cocks, peacocks of hundred sorts of feathers, Jivanjibaka Kokilas, Chakoras with eyes furnished with black corners, the birds who are ever fond of their young.
जलस्थानेषु रम्येषु पद्मिनीभिश्च संकुलम्। सारसानां च मधुरैाहतैः समलंकृतम्॥ किन्नरैरप्सरोभिश्च निषेवितशिलातलम्। दिग्वारणविषाणग्रैः समन्ताद्धृष्टपादपम्॥ विद्याधरानुचरितं नानारत्नसमाकुलम्। विषोल्बणभुजंगैश्च दीप्तजिह्वनिषेवितम्॥ क्वचित् कनकसंकाशं क्वचिद् रजतसंनिभम्। क्वचिदञ्जनपुञ्जाभं हिमवन्तमुपागमत्॥ स तु तत्र नरश्रेष्ठस्तपो घोरं समाश्रितः। फलमूलाम्बुसम्भक्षः सहस्रपरिवत्सरान्॥ संवत्सरसहस्रे तु गते दिव्ये महानदी। दर्शयामास तं गङ्गा तदा मूर्तिमती स्वयम्॥
Abounding in lotuses growing in charming water reservoirs, adorned with the sweet notes of the cranes. Its stony slabs beautified with he sitting Kinnaras and Apsaras, all its trees rubbed everywhere by large elephants with their trunks. Frequented by the Vidyadharas, full of many gems, infested by snakes of virtuous poison and glowing tongues. Looking at places like a heap of collyriums. Such was the Himalayas where he (the king) arrived. That foremost of men practised there terrible asceticism. He lived on only fruits, roots and water. One thousand celestial years passed away and then that great river Ganga in her embodied form appeared before him.
गङ्गोवाच किमिच्छसि महाराज मत्तः किं च ददानि ते। तद् ब्रवीहि नरश्रेष्ठ करिष्यामि वचस्तव॥
Ganga said: O best of men, O great king, what do you desire? What should be given to you by me? Tell me, I shall do what you say.
एवमुक्तः प्रत्युवाच राजा हैमवती तदा। पितामहा मे वरदे कपिलेन महानदि॥ अन्वेषमाणास्तुरगं नीता वैवस्वतक्षयम्। षष्टिस्तानि सहस्राणि सागराणां महात्मनाम्॥ कपिलं देवमासाद्य क्षणेन निधनं गताः। तेषामेवं विनष्टानां स्वर्गे वासो न विद्यते॥ यावत् तानि शरीराणि त्वं जलै भिषिञ्चसि। तावत् तेषां गतिर्नास्ति सागराणां महानदि॥ स्वर्गं नय महाभागे मत्पितॄन् सगरात्मजान्। तेषामर्थेन याचामि त्वामहं वै महानदि॥
Lomasha said: Having been thus addressed, the king replied to the daughter of the Himalayas (Ganga), "O giver of boons, O great river, my grandfather has been sent to the abode of Yajna by Kapila. The sixty thousands sons of the illustrious Sagara. Met with an instant death the meeting with Kapila. Having thus perished, they had no place in heaven. O great river, as long will their bodies not be sprinkled with your water, sons of Sagara. O greatly exalted one, O great river, take my ancestors, the sons of Sagara to heaven. For them I pray to you."
लोमश उवाच एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राज्ञो गङ्गा लोकनमस्कृता। भगीरथमिदं वाक्यं सुप्रीता समभाषत॥ ।
Having heard these words of the king, Ganga, ever adored of the world, thus spoke to Bhagiratha with delighted heart.
करिष्यामि महाराज वचस्ते नात्र संशयः। वेगं तु मम दुर्धार्यं पतन्त्या गगनाद् भुवम्॥
"O great king, I shall certainly do what you say. But my force will be difficult to be withstood when I shall fall from the sky to the। earth.
न शक्तस्त्रिषु लोकेषु कश्चिद्धारयितुं नृप। अन्यत्र विबुधश्रेष्ठान्नीलकण्ठान्महेश्वरात्॥
O king, there is none in the three worlds except the great god, the blue-throated deity, the foremost of celestials (Shiva), who would। be able to withstand it.
तं तोषय महाबाहो तपसा वरदं हरम्। स तु मां प्रच्युतां देवः शिरसाधारयिष्यति॥
O mighty-armed hero, therefore gratify that giver of boons Hara by asceticism. The god will sustain my fall upon his head.
स करिष्यति ते काम पितृणां हितकाम्यया। एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो राजन् महाराजो भगीरथः॥ कैलास पर्वतं गत्वा तोषयामास शंकरम्। तपस्तीव्रमुपागम्य कालयोगेन केनचित्॥
He will do what you desire for your ancestors." O king, having heard this, the great king Bhagiratha, went to the Kailasa mountain and gratified Shankara (Shiva). At the expiration of a certain time which he passed in severe asceticism.
अगृहणाच्च वरं तस्माद् गङ्गायाधारणे नृप। स्वर्गे वासं समुद्दिश्य पितॄणां स नरोत्तमः॥
With the intention of making his ancestors go to heaven, O king, he obtained from him the boon that he would sustain Ganga (on his head).