03.107
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
sa tu rājā maheṣvāsaś cakravartī mahārathaḥ। babhūva sarvalokasya manonayananandanaḥ॥03-107-1॥
But he, the king, a great archer, universal monarch, and mighty chariot-warrior, became the delight of the minds and eyes of all people. (03-107-1)
sa śuśrāva mahābāhuḥ kapilena mahātmanā। pitṝṇāṃ nidhanaṃ ghoram aprāptiṃ tridivasya ca॥03-107-2॥
He, the mighty-armed, heard from the great-souled Kapila about the terrible destruction of the ancestors and their failure to reach heaven. (03-107-2)
sa rājyaṃ sacive nyasya hṛdayena vidūyatā। jagāma himavatpārśvaṃ tapastaptuṃ nareśvaraḥ ॥03-107-3॥
He entrusted the kingdom to his minister and, with a heart full of grief, the king went to the slopes of the Himalayas to undertake austerities. (03-107-3)
ārirādhayiṣur gaṅgāṃ tapasā dagdhakilbiṣaḥ। so'paśyata naraśreṣṭha himavantaṃ nagottamam ॥03-107-4॥
Desiring to please Gaṅgā through austerities, with his sins burnt away, he, O best of men, beheld Himavant, the greatest of mountains. (03-107-4)
śṛṅgair bahuvidhākārair dhātumadbhir alaṅkṛtam। pavanālambibhir meghaiḥ pariṣvaktaṃ samantataḥ ॥03-107-5॥
It was adorned with peaks of various forms, rich in minerals, and on all sides surrounded by clouds suspended in the air. (03-107-5)
nadī-kuñja-nitambaiś ca sodakair upaśobhitam। guhā-kandara-saṁlīnaiḥ siṁha-vyāghrair niṣevi-tam॥03-107-6॥
(It was) adorned with river-bank thickets with water, and inhabited by lions and tigers concealed in cave caverns. (03-107-6)
śakunaiz ca vicitrāṅgaiḥ kūjadbhiḥ vividhā giraḥ। bhṛṅgarājais tathā haṃsair dātyūhair jalakukkuṭaiḥ ॥03-107-7॥
With birds of various forms cooing diverse notes, and also by king-crows, swans, cranes, and waterfowls. (3-107-7)
mayūraiḥ śatapatraiś ca kokilaiḥ jīvajīvakaiḥ। cakoraiḥ asitāpāṅgais tathā putrapriyair api ॥03-107-8॥
By peacocks, lotuses, cuckoos, jīvajīvaka birds, chakora birds, those with dark eyes, and also those fond of their offspring. (03-107-8)
jalasthāneṣu ramyeṣu padminībhiś ca saṅkulam। sārasānāṃ ca madhurair vyāhṛtaiḥ samalaṅkṛtam॥03-107-9॥
In those beautiful watery spots, thronged with lotuses and adorned by the sweet calls of cranes, the place was most charming. (03-107-9)
kiṃnarair apsarobhiś ca niṣevitaśilātalam। diśāgaja-viṣāṇāgraiḥ samantād ghṛṣṭapādapam ॥03-107-10॥
The rocky plateau frequented by Kiṃnaras and Apsarases, and a tree rubbed on all sides by the tips of the tusks of the elephants of the quarters. (03-107-10)
vidyādharānucaritaṃ nānāratnasamākulam। viṣolbaṇairbhujaṅgaiśca dīptajihvairniṣevitam ॥03-107-11॥
It was followed by Vidyādharas, filled with various jewels, and inhabited by fiercely poisonous serpents with blazing tongues. (03-107-11)
kvacit kanaka-saṅkāśam kvacid rajata-samnibham। kvacid añjana-puñjābham himavantam upāgamat ॥03-107-12॥
He approached the Himavat (Himalaya mountains), which at places appeared golden, at some places silver, and at some places like a mass of collyrium. (03-107-12)
sa tu tatra naraśreṣṭhas tapo ghoraṃ samāśritaḥ। phalamūlāmbubhakṣo 'bhūt sahasraṃ parivatsarān ॥03-107-13॥
But there, the best among men, undertook severe austerity, subsisting on fruits, roots, and water, for a thousand years. (03-107-13)
saṁvatsarasaḥasre tu gate divye mahānadī। darśayāmāsa taṁ gaṅgā tadā mūrtimatī svayam ॥03-107-14॥
But after a thousand divine years had passed, the great river Gaṅgā herself then revealed her embodied form to him. (03-107-14)
gaṅgovāca॥
Ganga said.
kim icchasi mahārāja mattaḥ kiṃ ca dadāni te. tad bravīhi nara-śreṣṭha kariṣyāmi vacas tava ॥03-107-15॥
O great king, what do you wish from me? What shall I give you? Tell me that, O best of men; I will carry out your word. (03-107-15)
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
evam-uktaḥ pratyuvāca rājā haimavatīṃ tadā। pitāmaha me varade kapilena mahānadi ॥ anveṣamāṇās-turagaṃ nītā vaivasvata-kṣayam ॥03-107-16॥
Thus addressed, the king replied to Haimavatī: O giver of boons, my paternal grandfather and his party, seeking the horse, were led by Kapila into the great river and to the abode of Vaivasvata. (03-107-16)
ṣaṣṭi-stāni sahasrāṇi sāgarāṇāṃ mahātmanām। kāpilaṃ teja āsādya kṣaṇena nidhanaṃ gatāḥ॥03-107-17॥
Sixty thousand Sāgaras of great soul, upon encountering Kapila's energy, were instantly destroyed. (03-107-17)
teṣām evaṃ vinaṣṭānāṃ svarge vāso na vidyate. yāvat tāni śarīrāṇi tvaṃ jalair nābhiṣiñcasi ॥03-107-18॥
For those thus perished, there is no residence in heaven as long as you do not sprinkle those bodies with water. (03-107-18)
svargaṃ naya mahābhāge mat-pitṝn sagarātmajān। teṣām arthe'bhiyācāmi tvām ahaṃ vai mahānadi ॥03-107-19॥
O great river, O greatly fortunate one, lead my fathers, the sons of Sagara, to heaven. For their sake, I indeed beseech you.
etat śrutvā vaco rājño gaṅgā lokanamaskṛtā। bhagīratham idaṃ vākyaṃ suprītā samabhāṣata ॥03-107-20॥
Hearing the king's words, Gaṅgā—honored by the worlds—happily addressed this speech to Bhagīratha. (03-107-20)
kariṣyāmi mahārāja vacas te nātra saṁśayaḥ। vegaṁ tu mama durdhāryaṁ patantyā gaganāccyutam॥03-107-21॥
O great king, I will do your command—there is no doubt about it. But my force, which is hard to restrain, has fallen due to the falling (object or person) from the sky. (03-107-21)
na śaktas triṣu lokeṣu kaścid dhārayituṃ nṛpa। anyatra vibudha-śreṣṭhān nīlakaṇṭhān maheśvarāt॥03-107-22॥
O king, in the three worlds, no one is able to bear (it) except the best of the gods, the blue-throated one, Maheshvara. (3-107-22)
taṃ toṣaya mahābāho tapasā varadaṃ haram। sa tu māṃ pracyutāṃ devaḥ śirasā dhārayiṣyati ॥ kariṣyati ca te kāmaṃ pitṝṇāṃ hitakāmyayā ॥03-107-23॥
Propitiate him, O mighty-armed, with austerities—the boon-giving Hara. That god will bear me, when I have fallen, upon his head. He will also fulfill your desire for the welfare of your ancestors. (03-107-23)
etat-śrutvā vaco rājan-mahārājo bhagīrathaḥ। kailāsaṃ parvataṃ gatvā toṣayāmāsa śaṅkaram॥03-107-24॥
O king, having heard this speech, the great king Bhagīratha went to Mount Kailāsa and began to please Śaṅkara (Śiva). (03-107-24)
tatastenā samāgamya kālayogena kenacit। agṛhṇācca varaṃ tasmādgāṅgāyā dhāraṇaṃ nṛpa ॥ svargavāsaṃ samuddiśya pitṝṇāṃ sa narottamaḥ ॥03-107-25॥
Then, O king, after meeting someone at the appointed time, he, the best among men, accepted from him the boon of sustaining (bringing) Gaṅgā, having in mind the abode in heaven of his ancestors. (03-107-25)
