देवदेवे गते तस्मिन् सोऽङ्गुष्टाग्रनिपीडिताम्। कृत्वा वसुमती राम वत्सरं समुपासत॥
When that god of gods had gone away, Bhagiratha, O Rāma, pressing the earth with his thumb, spent a year in adoring Siva.
अथ संवत्सरे पूर्णे सर्वलोकनमस्कृतः। उमापतिः पशुपति राजानमिदमब्रवीत्॥
And when the yea was complete, Uma's lord, Pasupati, worshipped of all the worlds, spoke to the king, saying,
प्रीतस्तेऽहं नरश्रेष्ठ करिष्यामि तव प्रियम्। शिरसा धारयिष्यामि शैलराजसुतामहम्॥
O foremost of men, I am well pleased with you: I will do what will before your welfare. I will hold the Mountain's daughter on my head.
ततो हैमवती ज्येष्ठा सर्वलोकनमस्कृता। तदा सातिमहदूपं कृत्वा वेगं च दुःसहम्॥ आकाशादपतद् राम शिवे शिवशिरस्युत।
Then, O Rāma. that one bowed to by all creatures, the elder daughter of Himavat, assuming an exceedingly mighty shape, with irresistible impetus precipitated herself from the welkin upon Siva's gracious head.
अचिन्तयच्च सा देवी गङ्गा परमदुर्धरा॥ विशाम्यहं हि पातालं स्रोतसा गृह्य शंकरम्।
And that divine one, Gangă, exceedingly difficult to sustain, thought, ‘I will enter the nether regions, carrying off Sankara by my streams.'
तस्यावलेपनं ज्ञात्वा क्रुद्धस्तु भगवान् हरः॥ तिरोभावयितुं बुद्धिं चक्रे त्रिनयनस्तदा।
Knowing her proud intention, the adorable Hara waxed wroth; and the three-eyed deity set his heart upon enveloping Here
सा तस्मिन् पतिता पुण्या पुण्ये रुद्रस्य मूर्धनि॥ हिमवत्प्रतिमे राम जटामण्डलगह्वरे। सा कथंचिन्मही गन्तुं नाशक्नोद् यत्नमास्थिता॥ नैव सा निर्गमं लेभे जटामण्डलमन्ततः। तत्रैवाबभ्रमद् देवी संवत्सरगणान् बहून्॥
O Rāma, as that sacred one plunged upon Rudra's holy head of tangled locks, resembling Himavat she could by no means reach the earth, despite all her endeavours; nor did she obtain egress from under the matted locks. And she wandered there for many a year.
तामपश्यत् पुनस्तत्र तपः परममास्थितः। स तेन तोषितश्चासीदत्यन्तं रघुनन्दन॥ विससर्ज ततो गङ्गां हरो बिन्दुसरः प्रति। तस्यां विसृज्यमानायां सप्त स्रोतांसि जज्ञिरे॥
And finding Gangā in this plight, Bhagīratha became again engaged in high austerities. And thereupon Siva, O descendant of Raghu, was exceedingly gratified; and cast Gangā off in the direction of the Bindu lake. And as she was let off, seven streams branched out from her.
ह्लादिनी पावनी चैव नलिनी च तथैव च। तिस्रः प्राची दिशं जग्मुर्गङ्गाः शिवजलाः शुभाः॥ सुचक्षुश्चैव सीता च सिन्धुश्चैव महानदी। तिस्रश्चैता दिशं जग्मुः प्रतीची तु दिशं शुभाः॥
And the three streams of the excellent Gangā of auspicious waters took an easterly direction; while the Sucakşu, the Sītā, and that mighty river the Sindhu flowed on the auspicious west.
सप्तमी चान्वगात् तासां भगीरथरथं तदा। भगीरथोऽपि राजर्षिदिव्यं स्यन्दनमास्थितः॥ प्रायादग्रे महातेजा गङ्गा तं चाप्यनुव्रजत्। गगनाच्छंकरशिरस्ततो धरणिमागता ॥
And the seventh followed Bhagiratha's car. And that royal saint, the exceedingly puissant Bhagiratha, mounted on a superb car, went before; and Gariga followed him. And she descended from the welkin upon Sankara's head, thence alighting upon the earth.
असर्पत जलं तत्र तीव्रशब्दपुरस्कृतम्। मत्स्यकच्छपसबैश्च शिंशुमारगणैस्तथा॥ पतद्भिः पतितैश्चैव व्यरोचत वसुंधरा।
And there her waters flowed with thundering sounds. And earth looked beautiful with swarms of fallen and falling fishes, and tortoises, and porpoises.
ततो देवर्षिगन्धर्वा यक्षसिद्धगणास्तथा॥ व्यलोकयन्त ते तत्र गगनाद् गां गतां तदा। विमानैर्नगराकारैर्हयैर्गजवरैस्तदा॥
Then celestials and saints and Gandharvas and Yakşas and Siddhas mounted on excellent elephants and horses and cars resembling cities, looked on Gangă descending upon earth.
पारिपल्वगताश्चापि देवतास्तत्र विष्ठिताः। तदद्भुतमिमं लोके गङ्गावतरमुत्तमम्॥ दिदृक्षवो देवगणाः समीयुरमितौजसः।
And the celestials stationed on cars were struck with surprise; and all creatures marvelled at the excellent descent of Gangā.
सम्पतद्भिः सुरगणैस्तेषां चाभरणौजसा॥ शतादित्यमिवाभाति गगनं गततोयदम्।
And eager to witness the spectacle, celestial hosts of immeasurable energy thither and the effulgence of their ornaments, the firmament free from clouds, shone as if with an hundred suns.
शिंशुमारोरगगणैर्मीनैरपि च चञ्चलैः॥ विषुद्भिरिव विक्षिप्तैराकाशमभवत् तदा। पाण्डुरैः सलिलोत्पीडैः कीर्यमाणैः सहस्रधा ॥ शारदाधैरिवाकीर्णं गगनं हंससंप्लवैः।
And the sky was graced with fast-fleeting porpoises and serpents and fishes resembling playing lightning; and the welkin scattered with pale foam-flakes by thousands, appeared as if it was scattered with autumnal clouds swarming with cranes.
क्वचिद् द्रुततरं याति कुटिलं क्वचिदायतम्॥ विनतं क्वचिदुद्भूतं क्वचिद् याति शनैः शनैः। सलिलेनैव सलिलं क्वचिदभ्याहतं पुनः॥
And the river proceeded sometimes rapidly, and sometimes awry, and sometimes in volumes and sometimes sloping, and sometimes ascending and sometimes languidly; and sometimes water clashed with water.
मुहूरूज़पथं गत्वा पपात वसुधां पुनः। तच्छंकरशिरोभ्रष्टं भ्रष्टं भूमितले पुनः॥ व्यरोचत तदा तोयं निर्मलं गतकल्मषम्।
Sometimes ascending an upland, it descended it no a dell. And the pellucid and pure water first descending upon Śankara's head, and thence on to the earth, appeared exceedingly beautiful.
तत्रर्षिगणगन्धर्वा वसुधातलवासिनः॥ भवाङ्गपतितं तोयं पवित्रमिति पस्पृशुः ।
And there the saints and the Gandharvas, as well as the inhabitants of the earth, touched the sacred water flowing from Bhava's body.
शापात् प्रपतिता ये च गगनाद् वसुधातलम्॥ कृत्वा तत्राभिषेकं ते बभूवुर्गतकल्मषाः। धूतपापाः पुनस्तेन तोयेनाथ शुभान्विताः॥ पुनराकाशमाविश्य स्वाँल्लोकान् प्रतिपेदिरे।
And those that had fallen from the sky to the earth in consequence of some curse of other, having bathed there, and thereby having their sins washed an removed by that sanctifying water, again ascended the sky and entered the celestial regions.
मुमुदे मुदितो लोकस्तेन तोयेन भास्वता॥ कृताभिषेको गङ्गायां बभूव गतकल्मषः।
And through the agency of that shining water, all beings, feeling delight, rejoiced, and having bathed in Gangā, became cleansed from sin.
भगीरथो हि राजर्षिर्दिव्यं स्यन्दनमास्थितः॥ प्रायादग्रे महाराजस्तं गङ्गा पृष्ठतोऽन्वगात्।
And stationed on an excellent car that mighty king, the royal saint Bhagiratha, went first, and Gangā went at his back.
देवाः सर्षिगणाः सर्वे दैत्यदानवराक्षसाः॥ गन्धर्वयक्षप्रवराः सकिंनरमहोरगाः। सर्पाश्चाप्सरसो राम भगीरथरथानुगाः॥ गङ्गामन्वगमन् प्रीताः सर्वे जलचराश्च ये।
The gods, and the saints, and the Daityas, and the Dānavas, and the Rākşasas, and the foremost of Gandharvas and Yaksas, and the Kinnaras, and the mighty Uragas, and the Serpents, and the Apsaras, O Rāma, and the acquatic animals in a body following Bhagirahta's car, with glad hearts went in the wake of Gangā.
यतो भगीरथो राजा ततो गङ्गा यशस्विनी॥ जगाम सरितां श्रेष्ठा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी।
Whither soever king Bhagiratha went, the famous Gangā, foremost of streams, capable of destroying all sins, went.
ततो हि यजमानस्य जोरद्भुतकर्मणः॥ गङ्गा सम्प्लावयामास यज्ञवाटं महात्मनः।
And Gangā flooded the sacrificial ground of the high-souled Jahnu of wonderful deeds, as he was performing a sacrifice.
तस्यावलेपनं ज्ञात्वा क्रुद्धो जह्वश्च राघव॥ अपिबत् तु जलं सर्वं गङ्गायाः परमाद्भुतम्। ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वा ऋषयश्च सुविस्मिताः॥ पूजयन्ति महात्मानं जहुँ पुरुषसत्तमम्।
Thereat, O Rāghava, reading her insolence, Jahnu, waxing wroth, drank up all her wonderful waters. Thereupon, the deities, and the Gandharvas, and the saints, struck with amazement fell to worshipping that foremost of men, the high-souled Jahnu.
गङ्गां चापि नयन्ति स्म दुहितृत्वे महात्मनः॥ ततस्तुष्टो महातेजाः श्रोत्राभ्यामसृजत् प्रभुः। तस्माज्जह्वसुता गङ्गा प्रोच्यते जाह्नवीति च॥
And that highly energetic lord, being propitiated, let Ganga off through his ears. Therefore it is that Gangā goes by the name of Jahnu's daughter.
जगाम च पुनर्गङ्गा भगीरथरथानुगा। सागरं चापि सम्प्राप्ता सा सरित्प्रवरा तदा॥ रसातलमुपागच्छत् सिद्ध्यर्थं तस्य कर्मणः।
Then Gargā again began to follow Bhagīratha's car. And having reached the ocean, that foremost of streams, with the object of accomplishing that work, entered into the subterranean regions.
भगीरथोऽपि राजर्षिर्गङ्गामादाय यत्नतः॥ पितामहान् भस्मकृतानपश्यद् गतचेतनः।
Having carefully brought Gargā, that royal saint, Bhagīratha, beheld his grand-fathers deprived of senses, and reduced to ashes.
अथ तद्भस्मनां राशिं गङ्गासलिलमुत्तमम्। प्लावयत् पूतपाप्मानः स्वर्गं प्राप्ता रघुत्तम॥
The excellent waters of Gangā overflowed that heap of ashes; and thereupon, O best of the Raghus, they their sins purged; attained heaven.