03.108
लोमश उवाच॥
Lomaśa said.
भगीरथवचः श्रुत्वा प्रियार्थं च दिवौकसाम्। एवमस्त्विति राजानं भगवान्प्रत्यभाषत ॥०३-१०८-१॥
Having listened to Bhagiratha's words done to please the residents of heaven, the venerable one replied to the king, saying, "Let it be so." (03-108-1)
धारयिष्ये महाबाहो गगनात्प्रच्युतां शिवाम्। दिव्यां देवनदीं पुण्यां त्वत्कृते नृपसत्तम ॥०३-१०८-२॥
O mighty-armed one, for your sake, O best of kings, I shall bear the auspicious, divine, holy river of the gods fallen from the sky. (03-108-2)
एवमुक्त्वा महाबाहो हिमवन्तमुपागमत्। संवृतः पार्षदैर्घोरैर्नानाप्रहरणोद्यतैः ॥०३-१०८-३॥
Having thus spoken, O mighty-armed one, he went to the Himalaya mountain, surrounded by his fierce attendants ready with various weapons. (03-108-3)
ततः स्थित्वा नरश्रेष्ठं भगीरथमुवाच ह। प्रयाचस्व महाबाहो शैलराजसुतां नदीम् ॥ पतमानां सरिच्छ्रेष्ठां धारयिष्ये त्रिविष्टपात् ॥०३-१०८-४॥
Then, standing there, he said to Bhagiratha, the best of men: "O mighty-armed one, request the daughter of the king of mountains, the river. As she falls, the best of rivers, I shall support her from heaven." (03-108-4)
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राजा शर्वेण समुदाहृतम्। प्रयतः प्रणतो भूत्वा गङ्गां समनुचिन्तयत् ॥०३-१०८-५॥
Having heard this speech expressed by Śarva, the king, after purifying himself and bowing, deeply contemplated upon Ganga. (03-108-5)
ततः पुण्यजला रम्या राज्ञा समनुचिन्तिता। ईशानं च स्थितं दृष्ट्वा गगनात्सहसा च्युता ॥०३-१०८-६॥
Then, after the king deeply contemplated, the beautiful sacred water, seeing Ishana standing, suddenly fell from the sky. (03-108-6)
तां प्रच्युतां ततो दृष्ट्वा देवाः सार्धं महर्षिभिः। गन्धर्वोरगरक्षांसि समाजग्मुर्दिदृक्षया ॥०३-१०८-७॥
Seeing her fall, the gods, along with the great sages, gandharvas, serpents, and rākṣasas, all assembled out of curiosity to witness (the event). (03-108-7)
ततः पपात गगनाद्गङ्गा हिमवतः सुता। समुद्भ्रान्तमहावर्ता मीनग्राहसमाकुला ॥०३-१०८-८॥
Then, Gaṅgā, the daughter of Himavat, fell from the sky, filled with great agitated whirlpools and teeming with fish and crocodiles. (03-108-8)
तां दधार हरो राजन्गङ्गां गगनमेखलाम्। ललाटदेशे पतितां मालां मुक्तामयीमिव ॥०३-१०८-९॥
O King, Hara (Śiva) held her—Ganga, the sky-girdle—on his forehead, fallen like a garland made of pearls. (03-108-9)
सा बभूव विसर्पन्ती त्रिधा राजन्समुद्रगा। फेनपुञ्जाकुलजला हंसानामिव पङ्क्तयः ॥०३-१०८-१०॥
She, O King, flowed in three branching streams towards the ocean, her waters filled with masses of foam, resembling rows of swans. (03-108-10)
क्वचिदाभोगकुटिला प्रस्खलन्ती क्वचित्क्वचित्। स्वफेनपटसंवीता मत्तेव प्रमदाव्रजत् ॥ क्वचित्सा तोयनिनदैर्नदन्ती नादमुत्तमम् ॥०३-१०८-११॥
At places, she winds about in curves, stumbling here and there, clothed in her own foam like an intoxicated woman wandering about. Sometimes, she roars with the sounds of the waters, producing a superb sound. (03-108-11)
एवं प्रकारान्सुबहून्कुर्वन्ती गगनाच्च्युता। पृथिवीतलमासाद्य भगीरथमथाब्रवीत् ॥०३-१०८-१२॥
Thus, after taking many forms and falling from the sky, upon reaching the earth's surface, she then spoke to Bhagīratha. (03-108-12)
दर्शयस्व महाराज मार्गं केन व्रजाम्यहम्। त्वदर्थमवतीर्णास्मि पृथिवीं पृथिवीपते ॥०३-१०८-१३॥
O great king, show me the path by which I should go. For your sake I have come down to earth, O lord of the earth. (03-108-13)
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राजा प्रातिष्ठत भगीरथः। यत्र तानि शरीराणि सागराणां महात्मनाम् ॥०३-१०८-१४॥
Having heard these words, King Bhagīratha set forth to where the bodies of the great-souled sons of Sagara lay. (03-108-14)
पावनार्थं नरश्रेष्ठ पुण्येन सलिलेन ह ॥०३-१०८-१४॥
O best of men, indeed, for the purpose of purification, with meritorious water. (03-108-14)
गङ्गाया धारणं कृत्वा हरो लोकनमस्कृतः। कैलासं पर्वतश्रेष्ठं जगाम त्रिदशैः सह ॥०३-१०८-१५॥
After bearing Gaṅgā, Hara, honored by the worlds, went with the gods to Mount Kailāsa, the foremost of mountains. (03-108-15)
समुद्रं च समासाद्य गङ्गया सहितो नृपः। पूरयामास वेगेन समुद्रं वरुणालयम् ॥०३-१०८-१६॥
And the king, accompanied by Gaṅgā, upon reaching the ocean, swiftly caused the ocean—the abode of Varuṇa—to be filled. (03-108-16)
दुहितृत्वे च नृपतिर्गङ्गां समनुकल्पयत्। पितॄणां चोदकं तत्र ददौ पूर्णमनोरथः ॥०३-१०८-१७॥
The king regarded Gaṅgā as his daughter, and being fully satisfied in his desire, he offered water there to his ancestors. (03-108-17)
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं गङ्गा त्रिपथगा यथा। पूरणार्थं समुद्रस्य पृथिवीमवतारिता ॥०३-१०८-१८॥
All this has now been told to you—how Gaṅgā, the river flowing along three paths, was brought down to earth for the purpose of filling the ocean. (03-108-18)
समुद्रश्च यथा पीतः कारणार्थे महात्मना। वातापिश्च यथा नीतः क्षयं स ब्रह्महा प्रभो ॥०३-१०८-१९॥
Just as the ocean was drunk by the great-souled one for a purpose, and as Vātāpi was destroyed, so too, O lord, was the slayer of a Brāhmaṇa annihilated. (03-108-19)
अगस्त्येन महाराज यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि ॥०३-१०८-१९॥
O great king, that which you ask me by Agastya, (I will tell you). (03-108-19)
