03.108
lomaśa uvāca॥
Lomaśa said.
bhagīrathavacaḥ śrutvā priyārthaṃ ca divaukasām। evam astv iti rājānaṃ bhagavān pratyabhāṣata ॥03-108-1॥
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)
dhārayiṣye mahābāho gaganāt pracyutāṃ śivām। divyāṃ devanadīṃ puṇyāṃ tvatkṛte nṛpasattama ॥03-108-2॥
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)
evam-uktvā mahā-bāho himavantam upāgamat। saṃvṛtaḥ pārṣadaiḥ ghoraiḥ nānā-praharaṇa-udyataiḥ ॥03-108-3॥
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)
tataḥ sthitvā naraśreṣṭhaṁ bhagīratham uvāca ha। prayācasva mahābāho śailarājasutāṁ nadīm ॥ patamānāṁ saricchreṣṭhāṁ dhārayiṣye triviṣṭapāt ॥03-108-4॥
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)
etac chrutvā vaco rājā śarveṇa samudāhṛtam। prayataḥ praṇato bhūtvā gaṅgāṃ samanucintayat॥03-108-5॥
Having heard this speech expressed by Śarva, the king, after purifying himself and bowing, deeply contemplated upon Ganga. (03-108-5)
tataḥ puṇya-jalā ramyā rājñā samanucintitā। īśānaṃ ca sthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā gaganāt sahasā cyutā ॥03-108-6॥
Then, after the king deeply contemplated, the beautiful sacred water, seeing Ishana standing, suddenly fell from the sky. (03-108-6)
tāṃ pracyutāṃ tato dṛṣṭvā devāḥ sārdhaṃ maharṣibhiḥ. gandharvoragarakṣāṃsi samājagmur didṛkṣayā ॥03-108-7॥
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)
tataḥ papāta gaganādgāṅgā himavataḥ sutā। samudbhrāntamahāvartā mīnagrāhasamākulā ॥03-108-8॥
Then, Gaṅgā, the daughter of Himavat, fell from the sky, filled with great agitated whirlpools and teeming with fish and crocodiles. (03-108-8)
tāṃ dadhāra haro rājan gaṅgāṃ gaganamekhalām। lalāṭadeśe patitāṃ mālāṃ muktāmayīm iva ॥03-108-9॥
O King, Hara (Śiva) held her—Ganga, the sky-girdle—on his forehead, fallen like a garland made of pearls. (03-108-9)
sā babhūva visarpantī tridhā rājan-samudragā। phenapuñjākulajalā haṃsānām iva paṅktayaḥ ॥03-108-10॥
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)
kvacid-ābhoga-kuṭilā praskhalantī kvacit kvacit। sva-phena-paṭa-saṃvītā matteva pramadā vrajat॥ kvacit sā toya-ninadaiḥ nadantī nādam uttamam॥ 03-108-11॥
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)
evaṃ prakārān subahūn kurvantī gaganāc chyutā। pṛthivī-talam āsādya bhagīratham athābravīt ॥03-108-12॥
Thus, after taking many forms and falling from the sky, upon reaching the earth's surface, she then spoke to Bhagīratha. (03-108-12)
darśayasva mahārāja mārgaṃ kena vrajāmyaham। tvadartham avatīrṇāsmi pṛthivīṃ pṛthivīpate॥03-108-13॥
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)
etat śrutvā vaco rājā prātiṣṭhata bhagīrathaḥ। yatra tāni śarīrāṇi sāgarāṇām mahātmanām ॥03-108-14॥
Having heard these words, King Bhagīratha set forth to where the bodies of the great-souled sons of Sagara lay. (03-108-14)
pāvanārthaṃ naraśreṣṭha puṇyena salilena ha ॥03-108-14॥
O best of men, indeed, for the purpose of purification, with meritorious water. (03-108-14)
gaṅgāyā dhāraṇaṃ kṛtvā haro lokanamaskṛtaḥ. kailāsaṃ parvatśreṣṭhaṃ jagāma tridaśaiḥ saha ॥03-108-15॥
After bearing Gaṅgā, Hara, honored by the worlds, went with the gods to Mount Kailāsa, the foremost of mountains. (03-108-15)
samudraṁ ca samāsādya gaṅgayā sahito nṛpaḥ। pūrayāmāsa vegena samudraṁ varuṇālayam ॥03-108-16॥
And the king, accompanied by Gaṅgā, upon reaching the ocean, swiftly caused the ocean—the abode of Varuṇa—to be filled. (03-108-16)
duhitṛtve ca nṛpatir gaṅgāṃ samanukalpayat। pitṝṇāṃ codakaṃ tatra dadau pūrṇamanorathaḥ॥03-108-17॥
The king regarded Gaṅgā as his daughter, and being fully satisfied in his desire, he offered water there to his ancestors. (03-108-17)
etatte sarvam ākhyātaṃ gaṅgā tripathagā yathā। pūraṇārthaṃ samudrasya pṛthivīm avatāritā॥03-108-18॥
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)
samudraś ca yathā pītaḥ kāraṇārthe mahātmanā। vātāpiś ca yathā nītaḥ kṣayaṃ sa brahmahā prabho ॥03-108-19॥
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)
agastyeṇa mahārāja yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi ॥03-108-19॥
O great king, that which you ask me by Agastya, (I will tell you). (03-108-19)
